MNS Marine Group, Selangor Branch

Explore and Discover Selangor's Coastline

2011-10-16T21:20:00.002+08:00

Date: 13 Nov 2011, Sunday
Time: 8am to 5pm
Meeting point: 8am at Sri Petaling LRT station.
Costs: Participants to reimburse drivers for transportation costs, however Marine Group will look into hiring a coach if the group size warrants it. Lunch at own costs.

The Marine Group will be organising a marine awareness outing suitable for family members to explore and discover together the Selangor coastline. It will encompass the coastline from Sepang river to Tanjung Sepat coast. Programme include a talk on mangroves ecosystem, explore the coastline and fishing village, and Save Our Seafood awareness.

For further details and confirmation, please contact Gary Phong e-mail: garyphong@netscape.net or mobile: 013-3836288

Conservation of turtles given a boost

2011-09-24T10:15:00.000+08:00

PETALING JAYA: Turtle conservation in Malaysia will enter a new era from Dec 1 when the country enforces its inter-governmental agreement on the Conservation and Manage-ment of Marine Turtles and their Habitats within the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA) region.

Malaysia is the 33rd state to join the agreement, following a recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) involving the Fisheries Department and WWF-Malaysia.

It entails 24 programmes and 105 specific activities focused on reducing threats, conserving critical habitat, exchanging scientific data and increasing public awareness and participation.

A WWF-Malaysia statement said it was also for promoting regional cooperation and seeking resources for implementation.

The signing of the MoU is also in line with priorities set by the Government in its 2008 National Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sea Turtles.

The MoU, signed by Fisheries director-general and WWF and IOSEA coordinator Douglas Hykle, is to protect, conserve, replenish and recover marine turtles and their habitats within the region.

“Through this regional platform, WWF-Malaysia hopes the Government will give full commitment in implementing conservation measures and comprehensive programmes outlined in the Conservation and Management Plan agreed to by member states,” the statement said.

“The move is timely as turtles are migratory animals. Their protection transcends national boundaries, and collaboration between neighbouring countries is imperative,” it added.

Source: The Star Online, Sept 24, 2011.

Marine SIG Committee 2011/2012

2011-08-10T23:44:00.004+08:00

Photo by Sharon Goh Wern Hsia

The Marine Special Interest Group elected a new committee for 2011/2012 via a string of e-mails. Thanks to the outgoing committee members of 2010/2011. The election was followed by the usual get-together, this year held at Kiara Park on 24th July 2011.

Spot the "Pink Damsels" :)

A Date with Turtles

2011-07-21T22:59:00.001+08:00

Dates: 9-11 September 2011

Location: Terengganu & Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary, Pulau Redang

Cost: RM350 to RM390 for snorkelling and RM500 to RM540 for scuba diving (depending on room type).

MNS Selangor Marine SIG's Project Aware is back again this September. Instead of the usual beach clean up, we will be doing turtle-related activities. Apart from snorkelling and scuba diving, included will be a trip to the turtle sanctuary at Chagar Hutang as well as a talk/turtle awareness activity.

Cost is between RM350 to RM390 for snorkelling and RM500 to RM 540 for scuba diving (depending on the room type). Price includes room and meals as well as the boat ride from the mainland and marine park fees. Places are limited, so please book early. A booking fee of RM100 is requested before 9th August 2011 to confirm the reservation. Travel to Terengganu will be by bus/car pooling.

For more info, please contact Kana at kkkana@yahoo.com or +6012-6180024.

My Unforgetable Experience at Tioman Island

2011-07-21T22:50:00.000+08:00

Story by Effendi Wong Bin Abdullah
Photo by Khor Hui Min

I found out about the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) through the local newspaper. So I went to the MNS website to explore further and found that they actually organise trips to local places of interest. I decided on the "Explore Tioman by Sea & Land" trip organised by the MNS Marine SIG and Nature Guides, and started to write to the organizer, Hui Min. Eventually, I signed up for the trip.

We reached Mersing around 5.30am on Friday, 1 July 2011. We took the boat at 6.30am to Juara Mutiara Resort, reaching the resort around 9am. After checking in and freshening up, we headed for an early lunch. After that, we got our snorkelling gear from the resort to practise at the beach before snorkeling from the boat at sea the next day. We were very lucky to have Adeline, an experienced instructor, to guide us on how to snorkel and the do's and don'ts. It was an eye-opening experience for most of us.

In the evening, we went for a night trek. Armed with torchlights, we went into the jungle with some local guides, hoping to spot some mousedeer and other animals. At one point, the guide asked all of us to switch off our torchlights. He showed us the reflection of a mousedeer’s eyes from his torchlight. We were all very excited. The trek was about 2 hours long and we were all quite thrilled.

The next morning, we woke up in anticipation for a fun day snorkelling out at sea. Our first stop was the Marine Park jetty, followed by Coral Island. The island took our breath away! The corals and fishes were very colourful and beautiful. We developed an extremely good appetite, and everyone enjoyed the BBQ dinner.

The next day, we went to Kg. Asah waterfall by boat. The cool water was very refreshing. With some time remaining, we headed to the jetty for some snorkelling. Unexpectedly, we saw many jellyfish in the water and our instructor Adeline asked us all to come out to avoid getting stung.

Then, around 3pm, we set off to look for the famed Rafflesia of Tioman. The guide, Pak Lan, is very experienced and explained to us about the various plants in the jungle. We were worried that we would not see a bloom, because these flowers only last for a few days. However, we did see an amazing Rafflesia flower. No words can describe the beauty of the popular flower. Satisfied, we went back to our resort and did a beach clean-up at the relatively clean Juara beach before dinner. When we finished, we were shocked that we had accumulated 7 large bags of trash which mainly consists of plastic, cigarette butts, tin cans, ropes and Styrofoam boxes.

On 4 July morning, we went to Tekek for some duty free shopping and boarded the ferry back to Mersing. It was indeed one of the most enjoyable experiences for me and I will definitely be back!

Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction

2011-06-22T15:54:00.000+08:00

PARIS (AFP) – Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned.
Dying coral reefs, biodiversity ravaged by invasive species, expanding open-water "dead zones," toxic algae blooms, the massive depletion of big fish stocks -- all are accelerating, they said in a report compiled during an April meeting in Oxford of 27 of the world's top ocean experts.
Sponsored by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), the review of recent science found that ocean health has declined further and faster than dire forecasts only a few years ago.
These symptoms, moreover, could be the harbinger of wider disruptions in the interlocking web of biological and chemical interactions that scientists now call the Earth system.
All five mass extinctions of life on the planet, reaching back more than 500 million years, were preceded by many of the same conditions now afflicted the ocean environment, they said.
"The results are shocking," said Alex Rogers, an Oxford professor who heads IPSO and co-authored the report. "We are looking at consequences for humankind that will impact in our lifetime."
Three main drivers are sickening the global marine environment, and all are a direct consequence of humans activity: global warming, acidification and a dwindling level oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia.
Up to now, these and other impacts have been studied mainly in isolation. Only recently have scientists began to understand how these forces interact.
"We have underestimated the overall risks, and that the whole of marine degradation is greater than the sum of its parts," Rogers said. "That degradation is now happening at a faster rate than predicted."
Indeed, the pace of change is tracking or has surpassed the worst-case scenarios laid out by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its landmark 2007 report, according to the new assessment.
The chain reaction leading to increased acidification of the oceans begins with a massive influx of carbon into Earth's climate system.
Oceans act as a massive sponge, soaking up more than a quarter of the CO2 humans pump into the atmosphere.
But when the sponge becomes too saturated, it can disrupt the delicately balanced ecosystems on which marine life -- and ultimately all life on Earth -- depends.
"The rate at which carbon is being absorbed is already far greater now than during the last globally significant extinction of marine species 55 million years ago," when some 50 percent of deep-sea life was wiped out, the report said.
That event, called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, may be an ancient dress rehearsal for future climate change that could be even more abrupt and more damaging, some scientists fear.
Pollution has also taken a heavy toll, rendering the oceans less resilient to climate change.
Runoff from nitrogen-rich fertiliser, killer microbes, and hormone-disrupting chemicals, for example, have all contributed to the mass die-off of corals, crucial not just for marine ecosystems but a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people too.
The harvesting up to 90 percent of some species of big fish and sharks, meanwhile, has hugely disrupted food chains throughout the ocean, leading to explosive and imbalanced growth of algae, jellyfish and other "opportunistic" flora and fauna.
"We now face losing marine species and entire marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, within a single generation," said Daniel Laffoley, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas, and co-author of the report.
"And we are also probably the last generation that has enough time to deal with the problems," he told AFP by phone.
Source: Published 21 June 2011

Caring for corals

2011-06-22T15:33:00.001+08:00

By NATALIE HENG, star2green@thestar.com.my

Volunteers teach tourists ways to enjoy the marine realm without destroying it.

There is nothing more mesmerising than swimming amongst coral reefs, underwater metropolises of curiously shaped and brightly coloured creatures. Living towers of wildly shaped structures resembling wrinkled brains, cabbages, table tops and wire strands form underwater cities for the myriad of fascinating marine organisms snorkellers love to watch.

Unfortunately, many snorkellers have no idea how long it takes for coral reefs to grow, or the fact that these delicate habitats which have formed over thousands of years are slowly dying as our oceans acidify due to climate change. Pollution, coastal development and over-fishing pose constant threats to reef ecosystems all over the world.

It was reported last year that at least 19% of the world’s coral reefs are already gone. So, the last thing this ecosystem needs is snorkellers trampling all over.

Do it right: Armed with proper snorkelling skills, tourists can better observe marine life and avoid trampling on coral reefs.

That’s what inspired four marine enthusiasts from the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to start the Marine Friendly Snorkelling Programme in 2003.

“We wanted to teach members how to appreciate what they see underwater,” says Leong Hon Yuen, a volunteer and committee member of the MNS Selangor branch marine group.

The idea is that if snorkellers understand the underwater environment better, not just how fragile it is but also the closely connected and fascinating features and dynamics of its inhabitants, they will be motivated to take better care of it.

The course which is entirely run by volunteers, occurs several times a year on islands such as Tioman in Pahang as well as Perhentian and Redang in Terengganu.

Though the snorkelling course itself is free, participants pay for the cost of the trips, which range from RM300 to RM600 depending on the location and number of nights stayed, to cover accommodation, jungle trekking and other such activities.

Understanding the marine life that you see when snorkelling can greatly enhance the experience. A fascinating underwater relationship to look out for: the goby stands guard as its companion, the poorly sighted pistol prawn, digs a sand burrow for them to take shelter in. — Mah Teck Oon

“It’s also open to non-MNS members, we just add in the membership price which is RM70 a year so they get automatic membership,” says another volunteer, Kanagalingam Kulasingam.

The snorkelling programme itself covers basic responsible snorkelling etiquette such as how to use a snorkel, how to communicate with your snorkelling buddies by hand signals and how to avoid damaging corals.

More importantly, it teaches snorkellers how to appreciate what they’re seeing underwater.

“For many first-time snorkellers there’s just so much to see, but after a while one fish looks like any other fish, and your interest may start to wane,” says Leong. “We teach people things to look out for. There are all kinds of special relationships going on underwater.”

An example of one such relationship is that shared between the goby fish and prawns. Snorkelling becomes 10 times more fascinating when you know that the little goby hovering above the seabed is actually standing guard for the prawn tucked inside its sand burrow. When the goby flicks its tail, this a sign to its prawn partner, which has poor eyesight, that the coast is clear.

“Unlike a lot of tourists who just swim around and don’t really see anything because they don’t know what they are looking at or can look out for, if you hover in one spot, you might see 10 or 20 fascinating things,” says Leong.

The snorkelling programme integrates informative stuff about the reef habitat such as how corals are formed and the essential role they play in marine ecosystems, as well as the 10 most common marine life snorkellers are likely to see.

“After three days (trips often last for three to four days) we do an underwater treasure hunt which actually tests their underwater snorkelling and marine life identification skills ... its a whole lot of fun.

“We also do a beach clean-up to show them what ends up under the sea and how it affects marine life. Turtles for example, suffocate and die when they mistake plastic bags for jellyfish which they eat. The amount of trash that comes out of the sea is amazing, it comes from rivers, the beach, the sea and tourists.”

One component of the course deals with awareness issues, focusing on the impact that tourism activities might have on reefs.

Kanagalingam points to direct and indirect impacts: “A direct impact would be when people get tired of swimming, they stand on corals. Unfortunately, corals are very fragile and it might take one whole year just to grow 10 inches (25cm). So if you break off a 10 inch-piece, that’s one year’s worth of growth gone just like that. A six feet (2m) wide table coral would have taken over 10 years to get to that size.”

Indirect impacts include fish feeding – fried chicken, prawn crackers and stale bread are popularly thrown into the water so that swarms of colourful fish congregate around the snorkellers.

“Fish feed on very specific diets, for example algae found on corals, sponges and other fish. It’s all part of an intricately balanced ecosystem. With regular fish feeding, fish behaviour starts to change. They tend to swarm around people and nibble at you because they have learned to associate humans with food. People think the fish are really friendly when they are not, and are actually more aggressive,” says Kanagalingam.

Andrew Sebastian, MNS head of communications points out that providing fish with this alien diet draws them away from the essential roles they play in the ecosystem. For example, many fish feed on algae which grow on corals. If they are eating bits of bread instead, algae populations can get out of hand and smother corals.

“We subscribe to the principles of eco-tourism, which is observing something in its natural space without tampering with it,” says Sebastian.

Over the years some progress has been made. For example, Sebastian says the Department of Marine Park Malaysia introduced a policy disallowing the use of fins in marine parks a few years ago. This was meant to help protect the corals from being damaged – corals can be quite sharp, so without fins, people are less inclined to step on them.

Sebastian believes all tourists have an important role to play because they create demand. Aside from educating ourselves about marine life, getting to know responsible snorkelling etiquette and refraining from throwing rubbish in the sea, tourists and holiday makers can do more – “Give business to resorts who are aware and want to make a difference,” says Sebastian.

Far-sighted resorts and tour operators will recognise that the coral reefs at their doorstep are assets central to the attractiveness of their establishment; who wants to stay at a resort with a skeletal mass of broken corals?

When choosing green resorts, Sebastian recommends asking some basic questions, such as: Do they treat their effluent before it goes out to sea? Do they dispose of rubbish responsibly? Do they educate their guests and staff on how to protect the reefs?

Meanwhile, the MNS marine group is working with the British Sub Aqua Club to develop a professional certification scheme for local snorkelling guides aimed at enabling them to teach responsible snorkelling etiquette and marine knowledge to tourists.

“Very often the guides are locals and don’t get formal training. If a programme trains them on what to show and talk about when they take people snorkelling, they will be able to make the experience richer for tourists,” says Kanagalingam.

MNS has held only one snorkelling guide training session to date, in 2006 in Tioman, as sponsors are hard to come by. So, getting a certification scheme up and running will provide resorts and tour operators an incentive to sponsor their own guides for the course, something which they can then market to eco-aware tourists.

For upcoming Marine Friendly Snorkelling Programme trips, go to mnsmarine.blogspot.com.

Published 7 June 2011. Click here for the source.

Explore Tioman by Sea & Land

2011-05-17T02:13:00.006+08:00

Dates: 1-4 July 2011 (Fri-Mon)

Location: Tioman Island
Cost: RM460 for members, RM530 for non-members (includes 1-year MNS membership).

MNS Marine SIG and the Nature Guides are organising a joint 4D/3N trip to Tioman Island, promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike. Over a 4-day period, you will stay at Juara Mutiara Resort, enjoy two days of snorkelling, a morning trek to look for the famed Rafflesia, and a trek to a lovely waterfall. Besides that, the “night life” enthusiast will find the night spotting walk exciting indeed. What are you trying to spot at night? Well, we hope to see a mousedeer or two.

What’s included in the package?

4D/3N triple-sharing accommodation with air-con, Tioman round trip ferry ride, return land transport (Tekek – Juara – Tekek), all meals (breakfast + lunch + Dinner + BBQ Dinner), two days of snorkelling, three jungle walks, a visit to the Marine Park building area, a visit to Tekek (where you can do your duty-free shopping).

Tekek School KPA Programme

Each time the Marine SIG organises a trip to Tioman, a programme will be conducted for the Kelab Pencinta Alam at Tekek Primary School. Your trip payment will help to sponsor this programme, which includes a talk/ slide show, some arts & crafts fun, a beach clean-up, and a tea break.

To book your place, please pay a deposit of RM100 by 1 June 2011. For more information about this trip, and to register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714, khor.hm@gmail.com). Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

Dive in to Earth Day 2011, Tioman Island

2011-05-17T01:56:00.006+08:00

Story by Eda Izanie Ahmad Kamil

Photos by Ilyas Sapiyan and Eda Izanie Ahmad Kamil

When Hui Min said she needed volunteers for the “Dive in to the Earth Day 2011” programme (23-26 April), I did not hesitate to join. I wanted to meet new friends and also get first-hand experience educating school children on our environment. But, boy! I got more than that at the end of the trip!

Dive into Earth participants, from left to right:
Ilyas, Fiona, Carol, Eda, Jeff, Phoon, Hui Min and Wan Yeng

I carpooled with Hui Min, Phoon and Fiona. We spent a night at Mersing and met the rest of the participants – Jeff, Carol, Wan Yeng, Teik Gee, Owen and Cheng Tuan at Mersing Jetty the next morning. The ferry ride took us another two hours to reach Tioman. My reaction when I saw Panuba for the first time was “wow!”

Later that afternoon, while the others geared up for their first dive, Hui Min, Phoon, Fiona, Ilyas and I headed to Sekolah Kebangsaan Tekek to conduct a half-day programme for the kids.

Hui Min asked me to become the emcee for the event! I've never emceed in my life before! I was nervous at the beginning and finally gained confidence as the kids were responsive and did not disappoint me one bit!

Drawing his way to a
2nd prize win

The programmed kick-started with a talk on “Hutan Hujan Tropika” by Ilyas. Later, there was a drawing competition themed “Haiwan dan Persekitarannya,” an environmental-themed game, tea break and a beach cleanup.

Ilyas with the
1st prize art winner

I've been contemplating taking up the Advanced course for a while now and finally signed up. I was assigned to Juergen Koch and got to choose three specialty dives and two compulsory dives (Deep Dive and Navigation Dive). I did three dives for the first day, including a night dive. Juergen made sure that I was comfortable with the dive site before taking me to my first night dive. He even tested me on finding my own way back beneath the bubbles before my night dive.

The next day was the anticipated deep dive. I finally got to dive with the rest of the crew. We went to Soyak wreck. It was nerve-wrecking as we descended. It took a while before I could see the bottom. After two days and five dives, I'm now a certified Advanced Open Water Diver!

One of the most memorable dives that we did was the unintentional “Search and Rescue” dive at the Marine Park. The visibility was bad. After a while, we realised that we had lost three divers. Juergen finally decided to ascend and abandon the dive. So lesson learnt in this dive: (1) always follow the divemaster, (2) if you get lost, ascend and abandon the dive. But in our case, since our tanks weren't even half empty and Juergen is an experienced divemaster, we descended again as soon as Juergen saw the bubbles of the missing divers underwater. We communicated through sound, by tapping on the tanks and the diving slates! We finally found them and continued the “Search and Rescue” dive and found a man with an umbrella underwater!

Deep dive safety stop.
Nitrogen narcosis anyone?

On the last night at Panuba, we had a BBQ. Hui Min did a great job preparing the food. Chicken, fish, potato and corn (I never knew Carrefour's corn was so yummy!). We did another two dives the next day before heading back to Kuala Lumpur. We reached KL around 10.30pm. It was a great trip! Yes, I did meet new friends. Best of all, is that we share the same interest – diving, nature and photography! Thanks to Hui Min for organising such a great event! Hope to see you guys again in the near future!

Beach cleanup

Sabah may be the first state to ban shark hunting

2011-05-08T17:28:00.001+08:00

By Muguntan Vanar
Star Publications

KOTA KINABALU, 8 May 2011: Sabah is likely to be the first state to ban shark hunting for their fins in a bid to protect the marine creature.

The state government is now studying the legal aspects of the proposed ban which would require amendments to the State Wildlife Protection Ordinance with the aim of introducing it by the end of the year.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the situation was becoming critical for this marine creature as only 20% of its original population was still left in the country.

“From my last briefing, there are only four areas in Sabah where sharks can be spotted.

“If we don't do something about it, the population may disappear from our waters completely,” Masidi said yesterday.

Masidi said he was told by experts that the sharks no longer existed in peninsular Malaysia waters.

He said the state attorney-general was now studying the matter.

He added that the state government was working with non-governmental groups to educate the public on the need to protect sharks from “disappearing” entirely.

“We understand the sensitivities involved as it is a must for some people to serve shark fin soup during weddings. But what we are trying to do is to educate the people to skip the dish for conservation's sake,” he said, adding that it would also get Malaysia Airports Berhad to bar retailers from selling shark fins in airports in the state.

The state government, he added, had also taken shark fin soup off the menu of its official functions.

Source: Click here.

Register for the MNS & BSAC Programme

2011-03-16T01:08:00.003+08:00

Please click here to view and download the following forms:

MNS Registration and Disclaimer Form

BSAC Declaration of Fitness for Snorkelling Form (Print page 1 only)

For more information, please contact us at mnsmarinegroup-bsac(at)yahoo.com.

Itinerary: MNS BSAC Snorkel Instructor Programme

2011-03-16T01:03:00.007+08:00

10 Baht = RM10 as of 16 March 2011

Day	Time	Notes	Expenses	Contacts
Day 00 Sat, May 21	10:00am-1.30pm	Pre-trip briefing at MNS HQ Auditorium (only for those who have pre-registered for the course) Introduction to Marine Life	Included
Day 1 Sat, June 4	1:35pm	Depart Kuala Lumpur	Own expense	Firefly Airlines, ex-Subang Airport Kuala Lumpur For students flying from other parts of Malaysia, please check with your travel agent or flight carrier.
	2:35pm	Arrive Koh Samui Taxi to Hotel	Own expense
		Check-in, free and easy, overnight in Koh Samui.	Meals extra	Ampha Place Hotel * 67/59 Moo 1, T. Maenam, Koh Samui T/F: +66 77 332 129 H/P: +66 83 752 7870 www.samui-ampha-hotel.com/ * This is a very popular hotel; in case booked out, we will find alternative accommodations. Contact ferry company to re-confirm pick-up from hotel next day
Day 2 Sun, June 5		Breakfast	Own expense
	Time TBC	Pick-up by ferry company	Included	Lomprayah High-Speed Ferries (Koh Samui branch). Opens 7am-11pm. Tel: (+66) 0-7742-7765(-6); (+66) 08-1536-7162
	12:30pm	Transfer to Koh Tao island, departing Maenam Pier.	Included	1 hour 45 minutes journey
	14:15	Arrive Mae Haad Pier on Koh Tao; Taxi to Hostel and check-in. Free and easy rest of day (TBC)	Taxi own expense, about RM5/pax
Day 3-8 Mon June 6-11		Stay 7 nights; BSAC Open Water Snorkel Instructor Course	Hostel and course included; Key deposit extra; Meals extra	Koh Tao Backpackers www.kohtaobackpackers.com Note: No credit card facilities, Baht 1,000 for key deposit; For a Thai dish, expect to pay between 80 baht to 120 baht. Food items like pizza, pasta, burgers etc will cost around 200-250 baht.
Day 9 June 12, Sun	Time TBC	Taxi to Pier	Own expense
	09:30	Depart pier 9:30am Transfer to Koh Samui island. Arrive 11:20am	Included	Lomprayah (Koh Tao branch) Open 7:30am-10pm. Tel: (+66) 0-7745-6176, 0-7745-6785, 0-81536-7719
		Free & Easy until your flight departure	Own expense
	14:55	Depart Koh Samui at 14:55 Arriving Subang Airport Kuala Lumpur 17:55	Own expense; Airport tax is included in airfares.	Firefly Airline. For students flying to other parts of Malaysia, please check with your travel agent or flight carrier.

Other useful links:

Koh Samui

Ko Tao

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> Register for Programme

BSAC Level 6: Open Water Snorkel Instructor

2011-03-16T00:45:00.001+08:00

OPEN WATER SNORKEL INSTRUCTOR

The BSAC teaching methodology is identical to the way we teach our scuba diving course and snorkelling. Trainee BSAC scuba diving instructors will have normally completed an Instructor Foundation Course, received training in teaching in open water and will have been examined on their teaching abilities in all of these areas. This Snorkel Instructor exam follows exactly the same syllabus. Obviously all-theoretical and practical lessons within the exam will be based around snorkelling topics.

Practical Training

Teach students how to teach basic practical snorkelling skills and theoretical knowledge associated with snorkelling
Give students experience of teaching practical snorkelling skills and theoretical knowledge
Give students constructive feedback

Theory Training

Personal Characteristics of an Instructor - We start the course by taking a look at what personal attributes a snorkelling instructor should have and what we would expect from a snorkelling instructor, if we were the students. Being a good instructor is not just about being a good teacher! A good instructor needs to have the right qualities and attitude. The instructor must be, Experienced, Reliable, Enthusiastic, Sympathetic to students' learning difficulties, Open-minded, Friendly and Approachable, Safe, a Skilled snorkel diver, a Good organiser, Flexible, Patient and an Effective communicator. These are just a few of the attributes the snorkelling instructor must possess.

Best way to teach snorkeling - Once we have established what kind of an instructor we would like to see teaching us, we then move on and take a look at what is the best way to teach snorkel diving as well as how the students will be able to understand the theory being taught and master the practical skills being demonstrated. We do this by using the “five senses.” 75% of effective learning is achieved through sight, so with the use of visual aids and progressive demonstration, we make it easy for the students to learn how to snorkel.

Plan, prepare and present a Classroom Presentation – you will be shown how to breakdown the lesson content into small logical and progressive steps so that the students can grasp the information being presented more easily. On the evening of day 1 of the course, you will prepare your own presentation, which you will then present to the other students the next day. Within this lesson, we will plan your lesson in order to meet the teaching criteria and achievement targets.

Practical Presentation Workshop

Practical Pool Demonstration - The skill that will be demonstrated to you will be one of the skills taken from the Snorkel Diver programmes. Skills such as mask or snorkel clearing, surface dives, surface recue towing, surfacing procedures etc. The instructor will once again show you how to break down these skills into simple steps with each correct step building from the previous one. Following the demonstration, you will have the chance to teach the student your own snorkelling skill. At the end of day 1, you and your group will also be asked to plan an open water lesson. On completion of your plan, a representative from each group will then present this plan to the rest of the class. The course finishes with an open forum with your Instructor about the course and what you have learnt. This session is aimed at giving you useful feedback on your performance.

The Exam

On the last day, you will be examined on the skills learnt. You will have already been given an additional theory presentation topic on day 1 in which you will now present in this exam. In this assessment, you will need to have met the standard criteria’s in order to pass this section of the exam. The second part of the exam takes place in open or sheltered water. In this practical assessment, you will have 40 minutes in which to teach the class a snorkelling skill. Again, on this part of the assessment, you will need to meet the standards and criteria in your practical teaching, in order to be successful. Successful completion of this exam will result in the candidate being awarded the Open Water Snorkel Instructor qualification.

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Information by BSAC Thailand.

BSAC Level 5: Assistant Snorkel Instructor

2011-03-16T00:41:00.006+08:00

BSAC ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR learns the basic foundation and training in becoming a BSAC Snorkelling Instructor. The course will introduce the student to the effective and progressive teaching methodology used by the BSAC. These methods will be used in all BSAC courses and training programs. Other aims of the course is to:

• Teach students how to teach basic practical diving skills and theoretical knowledge associated with diving
• Give students experience in teaching practical diving skills and theoretical knowledge
• Give students constructive personal feedback and show them how they can improve their teaching by evaluating their own performance in the future
• Introduce the student to the range of support material available from the BSAC and how to use these aids to assist in their teaching
• Expose the students to a wide range of attitudes and experience through contact with other participants and Instructor Trainers.

After your attendance on this course, you will be recognised as a BSAC Assistant Snorkelling Instructor who will then be able to assist in branch or centre training under the supervision of a Qualified BSAC Instructor. Once the student has attained their Snorkelling Leader qualification, they are able to extend their skills by attending an Open Water Instructor Course.

Theory Training

The course starts with a series of theory presentations, which are presented by the Course Instructor. After an initial introduction to the course, we start by taking a look at what personal attributes a diving instructor should have and what we would expect from an instructor, if we were the students. Being a good instructor is not only about being a good teacher! A good instructor needs to have the right qualities and attitude.

The instructor must be, Experienced, Reliable, Enthusiastic, Sympathetic to students learning difficulties, Open-minded, Friendly and Approachable, Safe, a Skilled diver, a Good organizer, Empathetic Flexible, Patient and an Effective communicator. These are just a few of the attributes the instructor must process.

Once we have established what kind of an instructor we would see teaching us. We then move on and take a look at how is the best way to teach diving as well as how the students will be able to understand the theory been taught and master the practical skills be demonstrated. We do this by using the “five senses”. Seventy-five per cent of effective learning is achieved through sight. So the use of visual aids and progressive demonstrations make it easier for students to learn snorkelling.

Classroom Presentation Workshop

The Classroom Presentation workshop will show you how to plan, prepare and present a classroom presentation. Within this section, you will be shown how to breakdown the lesson content into small logical and progressive steps in order that the students can grasp the information being presented more easily.

On the evening of Day 1 of the course, you will prepare your own presentation, which you will then present to the other students the next day. Within this workshop we will plan your lesson in order to meet the teaching criteria and achievement targets.

Practical Presentation Workshop

This section starts by watching a short video demonstration. The video will give you some examples on how to teach a snorkel diving skill. The instructor will then run you through the progressive teaching methods used in the video when teaching that particular skill.

The course instructor will then run you through a Practical Pool Demonstration. The skill that will be demonstrated to you will be one of the skills taken from the Ocean Diver or Sport Diver course. Skills such as mask or regulator clearing, buoyancy skills, surface rescue towing, rescue lift etc. The instructor will once again show you how to break down these skills into simple steps with each correct step building on the previous one.

Following this lesson, you will be allocated a skill for you to teach to your students on Day 2. You and your group will also be asked to plan an open water lesson. On completion of your plan, a spoke person from each group will then present this plan to the rest of the class.

The course finishes with an open forum with your Instructor about the course and what you have learnt. This session is aimed at giving you useful feedback on your performance. On completion of this course, the student will be recognised as a BSAC Assistant Snorkel Instructor.

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BSAC Level 4: Snorkel Dive Marshall

2011-03-16T00:34:00.004+08:00

SNORKEL DIVE MARSHAL is a person who is trained to organise and oversee snorkelling activities. He or she will have knowledge and experience in all areas of snorkel dive planning and is able to conduct snorkel dives for groups of snorkellers who are diving from different dive platforms, including boats. The Snorkel Dive Marshall is also trained in Rescue Management Skills and Basic Life Support skills.

Theory Training

Section 1: Roles of the Snorkel Dive Marshall - A dive Marshall’s duties and responsibilities will cover choosing the dive site or sites in order to achieve any objective of the group and to also cater for every level of divers’ qualifications within the group. He or she will assess the weather and diving conditions so that all the dives can be carried out safely, organise buddy pairs, while considering their individual interests – photographers diving together etc.

Section 2: Leadership of snorkelling activities - We will start by looking at the role of a snorkel dive leader, which will cover personal attitudes and qualities, their experience, both theoretical and practical dive experience. A dive leader’s role is to ensure the dives all goes to plan and that they are enjoyable and safe for everyone involved in the diving. He or she will also plan to ensure that all snorkel dive safety protocols are followed and will take overall charge in dealing with any incidents or problems that may arise. The Snorkel Dive Marshall should give an effective briefing to all members of their group. This briefing should cover, the task of the dive, the overall dive time, point of interests any hazards that the divers should be aware off etc. You will learn how to give an effective brief and debrief which will cover Safety, Exercise, Equipment checks, dive discipline and will review snorkeling dive signals. Underwater, he or she will lead the group on the dive using the ‘One up’ ‘One down’ procedure. This means that there will always be one buddy – on the surface at all times, who will be acting as a standby snorkel diver just in case their diving buddy needs assistance.

Section 3: Open Water dive planning - Effective planning is essential if everyone in the group is to have a successful and safe day diving. One important factor in planning dives in open water is the ‘Tides’ and ‘Currents’. With this in mind, the first step in this lesson is to have some basic understanding of how tides occur and the depth of water that can be expected once on the dive site. As tides move from their lowest point to the highest, and vise versa, there will be water movement – i.e. currents. This lesson will show you how tides occur, how to predict tides and currents so that you can plan to dive when the currents are less or absent. We will also show you how to accurately predict the depth of water at any time by using a method called the ‘rules of twelfths.’ The next step in the planning phase is choosing the correct dive site. Diving from an unknown sandy beach with no coral or rocky reefs to look at is going to be a somewhat boring dive. By looking at and knowing how to read sea charts will give you some idea of what type of seabed you can expect at the site. In this section, we take a look at sea charts and the relevant symbols; symbols that identify reef, wrecks, rocks, underwater pinnacles etc., all of which will offer some interesting snorkel diving.

Theory Assessment (10 multi-choice questions)

BSAC Snorkel Lifesaver Award

The primary aim is to examine, under open water conditions, lifesaving proficiency specifically applicable to snorkel divers.

The Exam

Basic Life Support (BLS) assessment – demonstrate to the examiner the effective administration of Basic Life Support, which will be performed on a mannequin doll. You start off this exercise by correctly diagnosing cardiac arrest of the casualty. This scenario assumes that the casualty is both unresponsive and not breathing, and therefore the need for immediate Basic Life Support should commence. The examiner will expect you to do the following steps: Check the casualty for circulation, properly positioning your hands on the casualty chest while performing effective chest compressions combined with rescue breaths at the correct ratio. We will probably be treating the casualties that have been involved in a snorkel-related incident and this incident might have involved water inhalation, which can cause the casualty to vomit. The examiner will ask you to demonstrate the correct actions for a vomiting casualty. In the case where the casualty has a ‘near drowning’ experience; depending on the circumstances of the incident, there may be a chance that the casualty can be revived by performing effective BLS. In this case, the examiner will ask you to put the casualty in one of two recovery positions. The recovery position used will depend whether you are on land or on a boat.

Theory assessment, conducted orally - Throughout the above BLS assessments, the examiner will ask you questions relating to Basic Life Support issues. You will be expected to answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly. In addition to this, in the Rescue Practical below, you will also be asked on the spot, questions relating to Lifesaving topics. Again you need to answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly.

Practical Snorkel Rescue Examination - This part of the exam starts with a throwing exercise. The exam assumes that a snorkeller has fallen into the water without snorkeling equipment. As a Rescuer you will consider several options before the need to actually enter the water. A couple of the options available to you in this assessment are to throw the casualty 2 objects.

In the first exercise, you will be asked to throw the casualty a rope. The distance to throw the rope will be a minimum of 10 metres. Once the casualty has caught the rope, you will need to instruct them on what you want them to do, before pulling them to safety.

The second task is to throw the casualty a buoy object. These objects will be those that may be found on the beach or in a boat. Typically, these objects could be plastic containers, footballs, mooring buoys etc. You will need to throw a maximum of 3 objects; again the distance will be 10 metres. Unlike the rope throw, where you can pull the casualty to safety, in this exercise you will need to enter the water-fully equipped. You will then need to swim out to the casualty and tow them back to safety using a non-contact tow.

Snorkel Rescue assessment. This rescue assessment is based on rescuing another snorkeler who is deemed unconscious and is not breathing. The casualty will be about 10 metres away and is floating face down in the water. The rescuer needs to enter the water, whilst at the same time keeping visual contact on the casualty at all times, and then the rescuer will swim out to the casualty; in full snorkeling equipment. On approaching the casualty you will be expected to turn the casualty so that his or her face is clear of water. Your first step would be to make sure the casualty remains positively buoyant at the surface. This is usually achieved by inflating the casualty lifejacket – either by activating the lifejackets CO2 inflation cartridge or by oral inflation. After calling for assistance, you then remove the casualty’s mask and snorkel and then commence rescue breaths. At the same time as giving rescue breaths you will tow the casualty a distance of 100 metres. The rescue finishes with the landing of the casualty either onto the beach or boat. On landing the casualty, you will start to administrate normal Basic Life Support.

Qualifying Dives

The students will conduct 5 open water dives with a duration of each dive being a minimum of 20 minutes. These five dives will be in addition to those dives conducted for the Advanced Ocean Snorkel Diver grade. On two of the dives, you will demonstrate to the Instructor both your dive planning and organisational skills and your ability to effectively lead other snorkellers in your group.

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Information provided by BSAC Thailand.

BSAC Level 3: Advanced Ocean Snorkeller

2011-03-16T00:25:00.003+08:00

ADVANCED OCEAN SNORKELER is a snorkeler who has achieved the status of BSAC Ocean Snorkel Diver and trained to have a greater level of theoretical knowledge in all aspects of snorkelling and having broad practical experience of snorkel diving. The Advanced Ocean Snorkel Diver should know how snorkelling skills might be applied to specialist activities.

Theory Training

Section 1: Cause and effects of pressure change - Weather conditions can change quickly. We take a look at how pressure changes in the atmosphere can cause windy conditions that can make snorkelling dangerous. We look at basic observation, which will determine whether it is safe to dive, or not. It is generally recommended that when the wind creates waves over 1 metre in height, then diving should not take place. Waves at this height would also make shore diving more dangerous due to the crashing waves on the beach, together with dealing with strong surf conditions. In this lesson we will show you how to use the Beauport wind scale table to access information on which conditions are safe to dive in. As an Advanced Snorkel Diver you will probably be extending the depth of your surface dives. With this in mind, we will recap on the volume and pressures changes experienced at these deeper depths, together with the effects of repeated compression and expansion as in breath–hold diving and the tiring effects due to extra exertion needed to counteract water pressure. The deeper we dive, the more buoyancy we lose both naturally and artificially, so at this point we recap on the correct weighting when conducting deep dives.

Section 2: Elementary marine biology - We take a look at a variety of marine life, from different types of fish, crustaceans – such as lobsters, crabs and shrimp as well as looking at corals, algae, seaweed and kelp etc. We will also explain where to find these animals and at what depth you can expect to find them.

Section 3: Diving from small boats - As a snorkeler, you will find that many dive sites can be inaccessible from the beach and these sites can therefore only be reached by boats. We take a look at the types of boats that are commonly used for snorkel diving together with some boat diving procedures. Boat cover is essential when diving offshore or at a remote site. They do not only provide a mode of transport to and from the site, but also are essential dive platforms from which we are diving. If an emergency occurs, then these boats will also rapidly react to incidents where these boats are considered as safety or rescue boats.

Section 4: Snorkelling activities - Mainly, people learn to snorkel because they want to explore the underwater world. However, snorkeling doesn’t stop there! There are many other activities that relate to snorkelling in which the whole family can get involved with. For the kids, there are many snorkel games, such as underwater leapfrog, underwater treasure hunts, underwater obstacle course, snorkel sharing and multiple mask clearing and much more. These games are not only great fun but also re-enforce your skills, as well as, this being a good way of keeping yourself fit.

Theory Assessment (20 multi-choice questions)

Practical Training

Underwater Navigation - at this level you will conduct more complex navigation patterns such as, navigating a square and a triangle. You will also learn how to navigate using pilotage – which means navigating by natural features and references.

Rope work - In the Ropes and Rope work lesson, we will run you through some simple knot tying. These knots would be used on tying off the float line or Shotline.

Qualifying Dives

The open water dives are your final qualifying dives for this course. Each dive will be of at least 20 minutes duration each. The dives can be made in a variety of different conditions, for example: boat dives, shore dives, dives in both fresh or salt - water sites.

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BSAC Level 2: Ocean Snorkeller

2011-03-16T00:19:00.003+08:00

OCEAN SNORKELER is a snorkeler who has achieved the status of Snorkel Diver, and has received further training to take a full and active part in open water snorkelling activities, including rescue techniques and further advanced exercises. This grade of student, on completion of training, should be competent in the safe use of all appropriate open water snorkelling equipment including protective clothing and should be able to act safely as one of a buddy pair of snorkelers.

Theory Training

Section 1: Breath-hold Diving - review and elaborate on the relationship of water pressures and volume changes and how such changes affect our body airspace as we descend and ascend on surface dives.
Dead airspace - created mainly in the snorkel tube, dead airspaces can affect our breathing and in particular oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in our lungs. We look at these issues and explain how to avoid problems relating to dead airspaces.

Section 2: Skills and Equipment - we take a look at thermal protection in the form of a wetsuit and wetsuit accessory. As we will be making dives down to depth, we may need to record this depth and time by using a depth gauge and watch. We may also want to snorkel out to a reef from shore, so in this lesson we look at compasses and how to use them.
Use of weight belts - when making snorkel dives, we may need to wear a weight belt on descent especially in the case when we are wearing a wetsuit. Therefore, we look at some different weight belt configurations and how to jettison them by using a quick release mechanism.
Buoyancy – we look at surface support buoys or floats together with reels used in deploying these floats; floats are an essential piece of equipment for open water snorkel diving.

Section 3: The Heart and Lungs - Knowing some background on how our lungs work, together with the respiratory process, is important to snorkel diving. The build-up of carbon dioxide in our lungs and the dead airspaces can cause unconsciousness underwater. So knowing how to breath through a snorkel and control your carbon dioxide level is crucial. Hyperventilation is another concern, in particular to snorkel divers. Hyperventilation is caused by the snorkel diver when they try to increase the amount of oxygen inhaled in an attempt to extend their snorkel dive. This delays the stimulus to breath out, causing the oxygen level within the lung to drop, rendering the diver unconscious. In this lesson we show you how to avoid such conditions.

Section 4: Rescue and Rescue Techniques – Snorkel diving is safe if you are properly trained and it is conducted properly. However, there may be on very rare occasions an incident where you may need to perform a rescue of your buddy or other snorkeler. In most cases, this rescue will entail conducting a surface tow of your buddy, either back to shore or to the boat. However, incidents that happen underwater will be more serious and may require you to dive down and recover your buddy and administrate rescue breathing once back at the surface. This section addresses how to prevent such incidents from occurring in the first place by proper planning and following snorkel safe diving procedures, and how to deal with an incident if one arose.

Section 5: Safe Snorkelling Practices - This lesson is designed around Snorkel Dive Planning. It will give you an insight on planning your own snorkelling trips.

Theory Assessment (20 multi-choice questions)

Practical Training

Snorkel skills

Back and forward Entry rolls
Breath holding dives with a distance of 15 metres
Finning without mask: face submerged, breathe through snorkel. Finning at least 50m
Mask removal, replacing and clearing
Swimming with a weight and emergency jettisons at the surface
Using lifejacket inflation and deflation techniques

Rescue Skills

Recovering a casualty to the surface
Towing casualty while administrating Artificial Ventilation
Recover casualty onto the boat or shore

Snorkel Diver Skill Tests

Fin 200m, including 8 surface dives in appropriate depths
Fin 50m without mask, face submerged, and breathing through snorkel
Fin 50m on back, with mask and snorkel removed
Fin underwater for a distance of not less than 15m
Fin 100m on surface, wearing an appropriately weighted belt
Rescue Assessment

Qualifying Dives – open water

On completion of the practical skills, the Ocean Snorkel Diver will then make 3 open water snorkel dives. Each dive will be around 20 minutes in duration. One of the 3 - dives will include the use of a compass. The final qualifying dive should include the Snorkelling Skills Test below:

Make a breath-holding dive to a depth of 5 - 6m
Carry out a rescue and tow of a buddy simulating unconsciousness at the surface: - giving two full breaths of Artificial Ventilation at the rate of 2 breaths per 15 seconds and towing for 50 metres. The rescuer will then remove the casualty from the water and place in the recovery position

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Information by BSAC Thailand.

BSAC Level 1: Snorkel Diver

2011-03-16T00:13:00.007+08:00

SNORKEL DIVER is a diver who is proficient in the basic snorkeling skills (safe and correct use of mask, fins and snorkel for surface and brief breath-hold dives in warm waters) and has been assessed for readiness for open water snorkeling.

Theory Training

Introduction - BSAC’s snorkeling programme
Snorkelling equipment – learn about the features and the purpose of each piece of equipment, considerations when purchasing this equipment and how to take care and maintain your equipment.
Some snorkeling science - Snorkeling underwater exposes our body to increased pressure. These pressures will affect our body airspaces, breathing and buoyancy. So it is important that you understand how this water pressure affects us when we are snorkeling and how to avoid any problems related to this pressure so that we can dive safely.
Safe Snorkelling - Diving with a dive buddy, choosing the correct dive site, surface buddy diving procedures, applying the One up, One down buddy system are just a few of the safe tips covered in this section.
Theory Assessment

Practical Training – pool / sheltered shallow water

Review of basic skills
Developing finning techniques
Mask and snorkel clearing and head first surface dives
Snorkelling and diving in deeper water and buddy rescue
Snorkelling in a buddy pair and buddy rescue

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Information provided by BSAC Thailand.

MNS & BSAC Snorkel Instructor Programme Overview

2011-03-16T00:11:00.012+08:00

Welcome to the MNS and BSAC Snorkel Instructor Programme.

Read carefully through the posts to find out what this programme covers, what you have to do to fulfill each level of certification as you work yourself up to instructor level and how to register and confirm your place. Should you have any questions, which are not answered here, please e-mail us at mnsmarinegroup-bsac@yahoo.com.

What can you do with this type of certification? You'll be able to teach BSAC snorkel courses and plan snorkelling trips with the MNS Marine Group (Selangor Branch) once we become a BSAC Snorkelling Branch in 2012. You'll be able to snorkel dive safely without compressed air to appreciate marine life, and discover why we have to protect this fragile ecosystem. You'll be able to, with confidence, rescue someone who needs assistance in the sea, and more!

To secure a place, you must fulfill these pre-requirements:

at least 18 years old as of May 3, 2011
submit registration and disclaimer form and RM500 non-refundable deposit - by May 3, 2011
submit declaration that you are fit to snorkel - by May 21, 2011
submit payment balance - by May 21, 2011
competent to swim at least 50 metres (freestyle) - by May 21, 2011 (a swimming assessment will be given at Koh Tao prior to the start of the course)

This programme is divided into two parts:

Part 1 is conducted by MNS Marine Group (Selangor Branch)

Date: May 21, Sat 10am-1.30pm

Venue: MNS HQ Auditorium, Jalan Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur

Covers the pre-trip briefing (collection of payment balance, submission of all forms, membership registration for non-members).

Your education starts with an understanding of the coral reef, the behaviour and relationships of fish and other coral reef inhabitants, dangerous animals to avoid, purpose of Malaysia's Marine Parks, and why we must not feed wild fishes. There will be a short exam.

Part 2 is conducted by BSAC Thailand

Dates: June 4-12, Sat-Sun (inclusive of 3 travel days)

Venue: Koh Tao, Thailand

Both scuba diving and snorkeling share similar interests and both have the same attractions. Snorkel-training courses will cover some of the theory lessons, dive skills and practices which are the same as scuba diving.

However, the two sports are considered totally different from each other. For example, in the case of scuba diving, the diver is breathing compressed air and is exposed to physiological effects that require different safeguards and training from the snorkeler who will be breathing air from the atmosphere and doesn’t require as much in-depth knowledge on the same subject.

To be a snorkeler or a snorkel Instructor, you don’t need any prior experience or training as a scuba diver nor do you need to be a qualified scuba instructor to teach this subject.

This programme will take the student from being a complete beginner snorkel diver up to Instructor level. The course, inclusive of student materials and certification, boat hire to the snorkel dive sites will take 6 days. The medium of instruction is in English.

The course would involve the following levels. Click on each link for more details:
   1.  Snorkel Diver course
   2. Ocean Snorkeler
   3.  Advanced Snorkeler

4. Snorkel Dive Marshal (with Open Water Snorkel Lifesaver Award)

5. Assistant Snorkel Instructor

6. Open Water Snorkel Instructor

Click here for the Programme Itinerary.
Click here to register for the Programme.

Information by BSAC Thailand. Click here for the BSAC Thailand website.

Upon successful completion, students will receive an internationally recognised BSAC qualification card and a certificate of completion from both MNS and BSAC.

MNS teams up with BSAC Thailand to offer Snorkel Diver Instructor Programme

2011-03-15T23:51:00.007+08:00

Part 1: Pre-trip briefing and Introduction to Marine Life

Date: May 21 (Sat) 10am-1.30pm

Venue: MNS HQ Auditorium, Kuala Lumpur

Part 2: BSAC Snorkel Instructor Course

Dates: June 4-12 (Sat-Sun)

Venue: Koh Tao, Thailand (fly to Koh Samui, ferry to Koh Tao)

MNS Marine Group (Selangor Branch) is heading to the turquoise-coloured waters of Koh Tao, home to plenty of colourful reef fish and other marine life (e.g. turtles, nudibranchs, stingrays, black-tip reef sharks, whale sharks) and a variety of hard and soft corals.

In partnership with British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) Thailand, we are organising a 10-day training programme for members and the public to be certified BSAC Open Water Snorkel Instructors with a marine conservation theme.

Why should you complete a snorkelling programme? Unlike surface snorkeling, a snorkeler diver submerges underwater; entering a somewhat alien world we’re not accustomed to and experiencing some physiology effects on our bodies and equipment. Snorkel diving can incur some element of risk, however, being properly trained will ensure that we can minimise or avoid such risks, making our snorkelling more enjoyable and safe. BSAC is credited with both European and International Standards and has a worldwide reputation for excellence and safety.

Since 2003, the Marine Group has been teaching members how to surface snorkel and appreciate Malaysia’s rich marine life and why it’s important to protect the marine ecosystem. From 2012 onwards, we plan to build on this strength and become Malaysia’s first BSAC Snorkelling Branch to help spread responsible snorkel diving, surface snorkelling and marine life appreciation.

Programme breakdown: PART 1 will introduce you to marine life and its eco-system, and a pre-trip briefing is included. PART 2 is an intensive 6-day training at Koh Tao, Thailand. Upon successful completion, students will receive an internationally recognised BSAC qualification card and a certificate of completion from both MNS and BSAC.

Places are limited to 24 people, with a minimum age of 18 years old as of May 3, 2011. Of this number, 10 places are reserved for MNS Marine Group (Selangor Branch) past and present committee members.

You must be declared fit to snorkel, able to swim 50 metres freestyle and be available for one Saturday in Kuala Lumpur (May 21) and 8 nights 9 days in Thailand (June 4-12). If you have, bring your own mask, snorkel and fins otherwise BSAC Thailand can loan them to you free of charge.

Programme Costs:

Members RM1,450/pax includes MNS' Introduction to Marine Life, BSAC Open Water Snorkel Instructor training, student materials, certification and boat hire to more than six snorkelling sites; 1-night twin-sharing accommodation on Koh Samui, transfer to Maenam Pier; return 2-hour boat transfer to/fro Koh Tao; 7-night Koh Tao dormitory accommodation and Marine Group fund. Non-members RM1,520/pax includes the above and 1-year MNS membership.

Cost EXCLUDES transport to/fro Koh Samui (own arrangement), all meals, ground transfer (except from hotel to Maenam Pier, Koh Samui), insurance and personal expenses. Please book airfare as early as possible as there is only one flight per day via Firefly Airline (ex-Subang Airport Kuala Lumpur). See the itinerary for flight times.

A non-refundable deposit of RM500/pax is due by May 3^rd 2011 to secure your place and full payment due by May 21st 2011.

Be sure to read the programme overview, snorkel instructor course description (Levels 1-6), itinerary, and how to register.

June 8 is World Oceans Day

2011-03-15T15:47:00.000+08:00

Since 2009, June 8 has been recognised by the United Nations as "World Oceans Day" (WOD).

The oceans are essential to food security and the health and survival of all life, power our climate and are a critical part of the biosphere. The official designation of World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection with the oceans such as climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing.

Around the world, people take part in events and activities that help protect our ocean for future generations. WOD reminds us to think about what the oceans means to us and what it has to offer (helps feed us, regulate our climate, cleans the water we drink, offers us potential medicines and generates most of the oxygen we breathe!) and learn about the rich marine creatures and habitats and how our daily actions affect them (for example, throwing plastic bags and waste into the city's drains and rivers end up in the sea where turtles, thinking they are jellyfish, attempt to digest them, but end up dead due to suffocation).

Click here to see how you can make a difference on World Oceans Day.

Sources:

United Nations

World Oceans Day

Too little done to address trade threat to Asia's tortoises and freshwater turtles

2011-03-05T22:57:00.001+08:00

By TRAFFIC

Singapore, 1st March 2011—A meeting of experts on freshwater turtles and tortoises from around the world is reporting dire findings for species in Asia, most of which are bearing the brunt of years of illegal and unsustainable trade.

Seventy experts who gathered in Singapore last week for the Conservation of Asian Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Workshop to evaluate the current status of these species in Asia found the vast majority of are nearing extinction in the wild, and very little has been done to address the problem.

The meeting reported that illegal and unsustainable trade was the greatest threat to the survival of this highly threatened group of species and found that laws and conventions in place to protect these animals were simply not being enforced.

Tortoises and freshwater turtles are among the world's most threatened groups of animals. Perhaps nowhere is the situation more critical than in Asia. In a recently released report, Turtles in Trouble: the World’s Top 25 Most Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles, from the Turtle Conservation Coalition, 68 percent of those that made the list were native to Asia.

Seventy-two of Asia’s 86 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles were assessed at the Singapore meeting, which was hosted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, San Diego Zoo Global and the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.

The Malaysian Giant Turtle Orlitia borneensis, one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world and found only in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra, is now listed as Critically Endangered due to illegal collection and export for its meat. The Burmese Star Tortoise Geochelone platynota, endemic to Myanmar, is thought to be possibly extinct in the wild due to relentless poaching for the international pet trade.

Another key finding of the meeting was the need for research to be carried out on wild populations to understand their status in the wild, natural history and current distribution better.

Experts also highlighted the need for increased monitoring of the trade that is considered the leading threat to all of these species. The urgent need for rescue centres and ex-situ assurance colonies was also raised.

Alarm bells were first sounded for Asia’s freshwater tortoises and turtles following a meeting of experts in 1999, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, alerting the world to what was dubbed the Asian Turtle Crisis.

Asia’s tortoises and freshwater turtles were being harvested in massive quantities to supply the demand for meat and use in traditional medicines, mostly in East Asia. These species are also in demand as pets. Much of the trade is carried out illegally.

Approximately ten years later, experts again met and found the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Of Asia’s 86 species, close to 70 species (approximately 80%) are considered threatened. This is a dramatic increase since these species were assessed in 1999—a 90% increase in the number of Critically Endangered species alone.

While there have been some successes over the past decade, overall the battle is still being lost, said experts who also discussed current threats and prioritized actions necessary to save species from extinction.

“At the current rate of decline, we will lose many of Asia’s tortoises and freshwater turtle species forever, if international and national laws and conventions are not enforced,” said Chris R. Shepherd, Deputy Regional Director of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia and member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.

“Trade is the single greatest threat to tortoises and freshwater turtles – a species group that has been around since the days of the dinosaurs. Their future is now in the hands of policy makers, enforcement agencies and conservation bodies. To date, efforts to protect these species have been far from adequate. If effort and motivation to save these species is not greatly increased, we are going to lose many of these species .”

Shepherd urged authorities to make full use of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) under which many of Asia’s freshwater turtle and tortoise species are protected.

“The last ten years has shown that while it is possible to save these species from extinction, the threat of trade is still present and ever-growing,” said Colin Poole, Director, WCS Regional Hub.

“Of particular concern is the increasing impact of the pet trade on a number of tortoise species and the growth of the demand for dried carapace from softshell turtles sourced primarily in South Asia.”

Click here for the article source.

Dive in to Earth Day 2011

2011-02-20T18:00:00.007+08:00

Dates: April 23-26 (Sat-Tues)

Location: Pulau Tioman

The Marine SIG of MNS Selangor Branch is having a special programme in conjunction with Earth Day (22 April) at Panuba Bay, Tioman Island. We will be organising a PADI Open Water Course and also Advance Open Water Course. People who want to do some diving are also welcome. We will also be having a half-day programme for the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) of Tekek School.

The 4D/3N Open Water/Advanced Open Water package includes:

1. Stay at Panuba Inn Resort, Tioman Island (twin/triple sharing)

2. Ferry between Mersing & Tioman (2-way)

3. Course materials

4. Dive equipment

5. Breakfast on 24, 25 & 26 Apr

6. 1 BBQ dinner

7. 1 beach cleanup

All course participants are encouraged to bring their own masks, snorkels & fins. Divers can bring their own equipment or rent from the dive centre. For diving trip rates, please contact me. Also, your trip payment will sponsor the Tekek school programme entirely.

Travel to and from Mersing is by carpooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual themselves.

OPEN WATER COURSE

Member price: RM 1240

Non-member price: RM 1310 (includes 1-year MNS membership)

Please make booking payment of RM200 by Tuesday, 7 March 2011.

Please make full payment by Tuesday, 15 March 2011.

ADVANCED OPEN WATER COURSE

Member price: RM 1140

Non-member price: RM 1210 (includes 1-year MNS membership)

Please make booking payment of RM200 by Tuesday, 7 March 2011.

Please make full payment by Tuesday, 15 March 2011.

Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (email: khor.hm@gmail.com, mobile: 017-881 7714) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited. Email and SMS are preferred. Calls after 6pm, please.

Holiday Inn Glenmarie Bans Shark Fin Soup

2010-12-21T14:31:00.002+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: It may cost up to RM45 per serving, but many are willing to pay a princely sum for it. But like exotic meat dishes, consuming shark fin is not without its controversies. Animal rights activists and environmentalists have called for a ban on the consumption of shark fin to protect the ocean's top predator.

The Malaysian Nature Society has roped in Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie as the first hotel to support the ban on shark fin. The announcement was made by hotel general manager Anil Pathak at a recent press conference.

Also present were MNS communications head Andrew J. Sebastian, and hotel senior wedding planner Wendy Lee.

Pathak said the hotel would advise against shark fin, especially to clients requesting for the soup on their wedding lunch or dinner menus. The hotel will offer alternative dishes such as herbal chicken or Szechuan soup.

The hotel will offer a complimentary upgrade to its duplex suite and a buffet dinner to the wedding couple who forgo shark fin. Couples who opt for a shark fin-free wedding banquet will get a certificate of appreciation from MNS.

However, the hotel would still serve shark's fin if its clients insisted as the Chinese community perceive the dish as a status symbol, said Pathak.

The campaign will run for one year and promote awareness on the plight of the shark. It will highlight the components of the marine ecosystem and dispel the misconceptions about shark fin.

During the campaign, the MNS will bring to light the beauty of the shark and how the human impact has led to the demise of many species of shark through a series of activities and programmes.

According to Sebastian, about 75 million sharks throughout the world are caught yearly.

In Malaysia, he said, although there were no statistics available on sharks caught, the catch was undoubtedly increasing.

"Our objective is to encourage and convince at least 100 Malaysian-based companies, organisations, hotels and other groups to commit to not serving shark fin soup.

"MNS will give talks on Malaysia's marine treasures and what everyone can do to help conserve and protect the marine ecosystem.

"We will collaborate with a magazine or radio station to promote and launch the campaign as well as highlight the organisations who have pledged to not serve shark fin soup as shining examples of the Malaysian community," said Sebastian.

Since November 2007, more than 30 companies and organisations including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have made the pledge. Corporations, hotels and eateries interested in supporting the campaign can call 03-2287 9422 or visit www.msn.com.my.

Click here for the source of this article.

US gets tough on shark fins

2010-12-21T14:25:00.001+08:00

Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year by fishermen who slice off their fins -- a delicacy in Chinese cuisine -- and leave them to die in the water. Sharks live long and have few offspring, compounding risks to their survival.

The United States banned finning in 2000 and has enforced restrictions in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The new rules close a loophole that permitted trade in the Pacific so long as sharks were not finned onboard the vessel, triggering a booming clandestine industry.

The legislation cruised through the House of Representatives in early 2009 but had languished in the Senate, which approved the measure without objection on one of the last days of its session.

"Shark finning has fueled massive population declines and irreversible disruption of our oceans," said Senator John Kerry, who championed the bill.

"Finally we've come through with a tough approach to tackle this serious threat to our marine life," the Democrat from Massachusetts said.

The bill does not ban the sale of shark fin, which is readily available in many upscale Chinese restaurants in the United States.

But conservationists welcomed the bill, saying it would curb a burgeoning but largely undocumented US trade in shark fins.

"This legislation will help address not only an unspeakably cruel practice of removing fins from live animals and then releasing them to suffer a slow death," said Nancy Perry, vice president for government affairs at The Humane Society of the United States.

"It will also help address on the macro level the rapid decline of shark populations," she said.

Environmental groups estimate that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year around the world for fins, leading to declines of up to 90 percent of some species of sharks -- which have swum the oceans since the age of the dinosaurs.

Despite campaigns from activists, demand for shark fins is seen as growing as China becomes increasingly prosperous.

Matt Rand, director of the shark conservation campaign at the Pew Environmental Group, said he recently heard of shark fins selling in California for an unprecedented 800 dollars a pound, or about 1,750 dollars a kilogram.

"The United States is a major shark exporter," Rand said. "I think this legislation sends a big signal that the United States is concerned about the decline of shark populations, not just in its own waters but in international waters as well."

Sharks are caught almost exclusively for fins. While the law does not ban the killing of sharks, all fins entering the United States must have an accompanying carcass.

In one notable incident in 2002, the US Coast Guard seized a Hong Kong-chartered, Hawaii-registered ship that was hauling nearly 65,000 pounds (30,000 kilograms) of just fins -- meaning tens of thousands of sharks died.

While closing loopholes, the Senate bill also opened one. To win support from North Carolina's senators, the law makes an exception for one shark -- the smooth dogfish.

Fishermen in the southeastern US state kill the shark for all of its meat instead of just the fins, but objected to the ban because they cut off fins in their ships.

"We had hoped they would adjust their practices so there wouldn't be any loophole," Perry of the Humane Society said. "But that was done to get the legislation over the finish-line."

Click here for the source of this article.

International Beach Clean-up Day at Redang

2010-10-22T19:58:00.001+08:00

Story by Khor Hui Min
Photo by Saliyaty Dora Md Ramly

I haven’t been to Redang Island since my student days a decade ago. So, I was quite looking forward to a trip to Redang with friends from the Malaysian Nature Society, from 17 Sept to 19 Sept 2010, in conjunction with International Beach Clean-up Day.

Going to the sea is like going home, and my hopes for the three days were realised. The weather was good and the sea was kind to us. Bleached coral and coral rubble were a common sight though, and that was the reality of the situation. How will the corals fair in the face of climate change, rising sea temperatures and rising sea levels in the next few decades, besides the threat of devastation from destructive fishing gear and uncontrolled development?

A total of 32 members from MNS made it to Redang, consisting of snorkellers and divers. We made up about half of the people who were there for the International Beach Clean-up Day programme, organised by Scuba Amigo, and supported by Pelangi Beach Resort, Marine SIG of MNS Selangor Branch and Project AWARE.

On the morning of the beach clean-up, around 70 participants broke up into their pre-assigned groups and made their way to their pre-assigned sectors at Pasir Panjang beach to begin work. There were 6 groups and I was leader of Group 6. My group-mates diligently picked up bits of rubbish scavenged from the beach and showed each piece to me, and then I noted all the items down in the survey form. It was really hot and sunny at 10am, but my group, including Fong, Fiona, Ilyas, Sollihein and Dr. Tan, did their work well and nobody suffered from fried brains thereafter.

I would also like to point out we saw a remarkable spectacle at the Pasir Panjang area – huge monitor lizards up high on coconut palms, just below the leaves, at sunrise. We thought they were sunbathing. Also, I rather liked the friendly squirrels that would come down from the trees to see us, in the hope that we might offer them morsels of food. I practised yoga on the porch on Friday and Saturday – an inquisitive squirrel or two came down on both days to check what it was all about. I thought it was rather amusing.

Thanks to Dr. Kana Kula of Marine SIG for taking the lead in the organising of the trip. Thanks also to Assoc. Prof. Liew Hock Chark of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) for giving a talk on the marine environment and turtles on the evening of Saturday, 18 Sept 2010.

We’ll be back again next year. J

32 years on, turtle returns to Malaysia

2010-08-19T19:41:00.000+08:00

DUNGUN: Puteri Rantau Abang, a leatherback turtle which returned to Rantau Abang 32 years after it was first released in 1978, has been released again by the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre.

This time, Puteri Rantau Abang which was identified through a marking on its shell and flipper when it returned on July 6, will carry on its back a transmitter to provide crucial data on its feeding ground and migration pattern.

Malaysian Fisheries Department director-general Datuk Ahamad Sabki Mahmood, who was present during Puteri’s release here, said the RM7,000 transmitter would allow researchers to define the turtle’s travel pattern and other data.

Puteri Rantau Abang, weighing 500kg and measuring 1.51m in length and 1.16m-wide is expected to travel across the Asia-Pacific region before returning home.

“We expect Puteri Rantau Abang to head for Vietnam and Japan before heading to the Pacific,” he said, adding that the turtle could also enter Indonesian waters, and to the Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand before returning to Terengganu.

Ahamad Sabki added that Puteri Rantau Abang’s return showed that Rantau Abang was being made a turtle nesting ground again after a dry spell in the 1980s.

“It is a miracle that leatherback turtles are making a comeback to this area,” he said, adding that the next speculated period for nesting is between Aug 15 and 20.

For photo, please click here.

Soaring temps cause mass coral killing in Indonesia: study

2010-08-19T19:35:00.000+08:00

By David Fogarty, Climate Change Correspondent, Asia

SINGAPORE | Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:57am EDT

(Reuters) - A dramatic spike in ocean temperatures off Indonesia's Aceh province has killed large areas of coral and scientists fear the event could be much larger than first thought and one of the worst in the region's history.

The coral bleaching -- whitening due to heat driving out the algae living within the coral tissues -- was first reported in May after a surge in temperatures across the Andaman Sea from the northern tip of Sumatra island to Thailand and Myanmar.

An international team of scientists studying the bleaching event found that 80 percent of some species have died since the initial assessment in May.

More coral colonies were expected to die within the next few months and that could spell disaster for local communities reliant on the reefs for food and money from tourism.

"I would predict that what we're seeing in Aceh, which is extraordinary, that similar mortality rates are occurring right the way through the Andaman Sea," said Andrew Baird of James Cook University in Townsville, in the Australian state of Queensland.

If so, that would make it the worst bleaching recorded in the region, said Baird.

Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Syiah Kuala University in Aceh have also been assessing the damage.

"This one of the most rapid and severe coral mortality events ever recorded," the U.S.-based WCS said in a statement.

It also fits a pattern of climate extremes, from heatwaves to flooding, that have hit many areas of the globe this year.

Between April and late May, sea surface temperatures in the Andaman Sea rose to 34 degrees Celsius or about 4 degrees C above the long-term average, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coral Hotspots website. (See: here )

SLOW RECOVERY

"Similar mass bleaching events in 2010 have now been recorded in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and many parts of Indonesia," the WCS statement said.

Baird, of James Cook University's ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, told Reuters that climate change could have played a role in the extreme ocean temperatures around Aceh.

"There might be one of these cyclic climate phenomena driving it but it's much more severe than you would predict unless there was something else forcing it, which is almost certainly global warming," he told Reuters on Tuesday.

The bleaching is a blow to local communities in Aceh still recovering from the 2004 tsunami. That disaster caused relatively little damage to reefs and Baird said some areas had showed a dramatic recovery.

Baird said reefs in Indonesia would normally take 5 to 10 years to recover from localized bleaching. But if the event was spread across a much wider area, recovery would take longer.

"I suspect the scale of this event is so large there is unlikely to be many healthy reefs in the rest of Aceh."

For photos, please click here.

First oiled turtles released in Gulf after rehab

2010-08-19T19:29:00.000+08:00

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ and JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press WriterWed Aug 18, 4:27 pm ET
CEDAR KEY, Fla. – The first rehabilitated turtles oiled by BP's massive leak were released back into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, with scientists saying that animals taken in by rescuers — including birds — appear more resilient than first feared.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is overseeing the oil crisis for the government, helped release the 22 oiled sea turtles about a mile off the coast of Cedar Key, Fla., an area unaffected by the spilled crude. They were the first oiled turtles found in the Gulf and rehabilitated.

"I think it's emblematic of us starting to look forward in the recovery," Allen said, smiling as he released some of the turtles. "This is a very pristine environment. This is their natural habitat."

Even though oil spill rescue crews have brought more sea turtles and birds to shore in the month since BP capped its broken well than the previous month, wildlife officials said both kinds of animals have suffered less damage than originally projected.

Rescuers have taken in 444 oiled turtles that were found alive since April 30, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They found 522 turtles dead, though they've only confirmed that 17 of those had oil on them.

Government researchers have largely declined to discuss the turtles' causes of death.

Virtually all the live turtles — all endangered, most of them the rare Kemp's Ridley species — taken in have recovered quickly. Oiled turtles are scrubbed clean with dish soap and other cleaners, tested for health problems and fed at the centers. Once the turtles regain their strength, they are returned to the wild.

"We haven't seen any of the problems that we thought we might see" with the turtles, said veterinarian Brian Stacy of the National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine.

Many young birds were spared because the worst of the oil came in at the start of the nesting season rather than when chicks were learning to fly.

In all, about 1,933 oiled birds have been rescued, while 1,942 oiled birds have been found dead since the well blew April 20. "It could have been a lot, lot worse," said Mike Carloss, a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologist who has been doing rescue work.

By comparison, about 20,000 African penguins were rescued and washed after the MV Treasure tanker sank in 2000 off the coast of South Africa. In 1989, 1,604 rescued birds were brought in after the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, and 801 survived, according to the International Bird Rescue Research Center

With the Gulf spill, there have also been some unexpected problems.

For instance, young green sea turtles have such delicate front flipper bones and get so upset at being handled that one may have broken a bone by wild flapping, said Cara Field, an Audubon Nature Institute veterinarian in New Orleans. Another one's bone may have been broken during capture or transport.

In the past few weeks, she said, red blood cell counts fell below normal in about 20 turtles — possibly a delayed reaction to the heavy oil that coated them in June. Two others had such sudden and drastic drops in the number of red blood cells that they needed transfusions but haven't had problems since, she said.

Field said about half the turtles have had elevated enzyme levels that could indicate anything from stress or an artificial diet to liver trouble or muscle damage. Since the turtles are vigorous, gaining weight and have normal blood work and lung X-rays, continued captivity would be more stressful than keeping them for observation, she said.

"The vast majority are doing quite well," Field said.

Still, plenty of uncertainty remains.

Wildlife officials warn that problems could surface later because it is unclear how much oil might still be in the Gulf.

Allen also cautioned that while progress is being made, it could take years to determine the long-term impact.

"No, it isn't over," Allen said. "It's going be over in the well head shortly, and the source of the oil will be stopped. But as we know, there's a lot of oil that's not accounted for."

For photos, please click here.

Langkawi - Jellyfish ID required

2010-08-02T23:21:00.002+08:00

The MNS Marine Group's Admin received an e-mail from a reader asking for help to identify jellyfish found in Langkawi. For those who can help her, please post your comments here.

To MNS Marine Group,

I am not sure if any of your group have been hearing about jellyfish issues lately in Langkawi.

We don't have marine biologist on the island, but a small group of us (guides and as well as MNS members) wish to get some help to identify the species of jellies that we found. You may refer to this blog for some information: http://wchinner.blogspot.com/search/label/Box%20Jellyfish

The pictures attached. Any help would be great.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Wchinner, Langkawi

Sabah Parks checking if marine parks affected

2010-08-01T23:54:00.001+08:00

Source: Daily Express, Friday, July 30, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Parks is checking all marine parks in the State for coral bleaching, Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said.

If the situation arises, Sabah Parks would close the parks or take ameliorative actions to overcome the problem.

"A few days ago, the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia announced that numerous islands in Kedah, Terengganu and Pahang have been closed for a few months due to coral bleaching.

"The bleaching this time was more significant and widespread due to global warming," he said, at the opening of the Fifth Meeting of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Programme Tri-National Committee here.

His speech was delivered by Assistant Minister, Datuk Musbah Hj Jamli Yahya, who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said he highlighted the point to drive home the message that people now face unprecedented challenges to protect their natural resources.

"If in the past we have been concerned about more specific issues such as the destructive exploitation of natural resources, making animal or plant species extinct, pollution and illegal fishing, now we have to be not only very concerned but actually take necessary action to improve our global climate.

"The flip side of this is starkly dark for our future - species disappearance, biodiversity loss, negative socio-economic impacts, threats to our very living spaces and regression in our quality of lives, among others," he said.

Meanwhile, dive master Clement Lee said the claim by USM marine biologist Prof Dr Zulfigar Yassin that "some 90pc of Malaysia's corals are dead" does not speak for Sabah.

"Sipadan and Mabul both 40 minutes to one hour from Semporna are not affected except at isolated spots. Pulau Sibuan and Mantabuan are also not affected," Clement said via phone.

"I have been taking pictures in Mabul and Sipadan, the corals are as healthy as ever." Lee said readers can verify what he says in the Internet at clement@borneodivers.info.

In the West Coast such as Tunku Abdul Rahman Park we do see some bleaching but it's no more than 20pc to 30pc and began since June, Lee said.

"Our West Coast shares the same South China Sea as the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The water temperature in Sabah's west coast and Peninsular Malaysia is quite similar. In Peninsular, it's between 30-31 degrees Celsius and 29 to 30 degrees in Sabah," Lee said.

USM's Prof Zulfigar singled out global warming, noting that coral bleaching had spread since April from the coast of India to Australia and now West Malaysia but said non-stop sewage and industrial discharge from coastal development add to the "stress".

He said corals would bleach and turn white when sea temperature rises above 31 degrees Celsius for more than two days.

However, Clement said if global warming were the cause, it puzzles him why Sabah seems to be spared .

Even during an extended drought February to April this year when stifling temperatures were experienced across Sabah, there was little sign of coral bleaching here, Clement noted.

However, the switch of weather patterns from El Nino to La Nina which see frequent cloudy conditions and rainfalls "invariably lower the water temperature," Clement guessed.

"Being part of the Celebes Sea, Semporna's water temperature right now is 26 to 28 degrees Celsius and therefore Mabul and Sipadan's water temperature is much cooler than West Malaysia or even Sabah's West Coast.

Maybe this is why the corals here are not affected," Clement said.

"But equally, corals will get a shock if there were a sudden drop in temperature," said Clement, citing a caution from UMS' Prof Ridzwan.

"We hope this will not be the case," Lee said.

Prof Zulfigar warned that decline in coral reefs will lead to fewer fishes in the sea and ocean and hurt fishing industry because the reefs provide a home to many marine species.

He also warned that bleached corals may take years to recover despite mitigating measures such as closure of diver sites, reduced intake of seafood and reduction in carbon emissions.

How extensive is the Marine Park closure?

2010-08-01T23:44:00.001+08:00

These snapshots were taken with the permission of the Marine Parks staff member who was manning the Marine Parks booth today at the Malaysian International Dive Expo. It will help show how extensive the closure of dive sites are, what coral bleaching is and what are the causes.

Volunteer for screening of End of the Line documentary

2010-07-28T12:07:00.000+08:00

Date: 5 August
Venue: TGV, KLCC

As part of the Save our Seafood Campaign by WWF-Malaysia and Malaysian Nature Society, the End of the Line documentary will be screened at TGV Cinema. We currently need around 5 volunteers to help out during this event.

If interested, please e-mail Hui Min at Branchkhor.hm@gmail.com by 28th July, 2010.

Volunteers wanted for SOS Campaign

2010-07-28T12:02:00.003+08:00

Dates: 30 July - 1 August

Venue: Malaysia International Dive Expo, PWTC

We are looking for volunteers to assist in the activities of the Save Our Seafood Campaign, organised by WWF-Malaysia & the Malaysian Nature Society.

We currently need at least 2 volunteers to help out at the exhibition booth. The slots are 10am to 2.30pm and 2.30pm to 7pm.

If interested, please e-mail Hui Min at Branchkhor.hm@gmail.com by 28th July, 2010.

Int'l Coastal Cleanup Day 2010 not affected by marine parks closure

2010-07-23T16:58:00.001+08:00

The temporary closure of marine parks has not affected this trip to Pulau Redang for the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2010. Only one dive site in Redang is closed, and not where we are going to.

Top dive spots closed due to coral bleaching

2010-07-23T16:53:00.003+08:00

Source: The Star Online

By EMBUN MAJID

ALOR SETAR, July 22, 2010: Several dive sites at two of the top diving destinations in the world — the Pulau Tioman marine park in Pahang and Pulau Redang marine park in Terengganu — are temporarily off-limits to divers and snorkellers until end-October.

They are among three marine parks — the other being Pulau Payar in Kedah — which are affected by coral bleaching, a phenomenon caused by global warming that has increased sea water temperature by 2°C to between 28°C and 29°C.

Marine Park Department director-general Abd Jamal Mydin said the affected dive sites in Terengganu were Teluk Dalam, Tanjung Tukas Darat, Tanjung Tukas Laut, Teluk Air Tawar, Pulau Tenggol and Teluk Bakau; and in Pahang they were Pulau Chebeh and Batu Malang.

In Kedah the affected sites are Teluk Wangi, Pantai Damai and Coral Garden.

Three islands in the vicinity of the Tioman marine park that have been temporarily closed are Pulau Regis, Pulau Soyak and Pulau Tumok in Pahang.

“The closure means that no diving and snorkelling activities will be allowed at the sites.

“In Pulau Payar alone, the damage to coral is estimated at between 60% and 90%,” he told a press conference in Langkawi yesterday.

The department said it would limit the number of visitors to Pulau Payar from 400 to 200 daily during the closure.

Abd Jamal said it was necessary to close marine parks and islands to protect the coral reefs which had turned white.

“We are monitoring the extent of coral bleaching at all marine parks in the country. In the meantime, we are building artificial reefs and coral transplants,” he said.

Each year about 500,000 tourists, including foreigners, visit each of the marine parks.

Reef Check Malaysia general manager Julian Hyde welcomed the temporary closure of the marine parks, saying the corals needed time to recover.

“Corals are like the human body, Although the body can recover from a disease, it still needs time to rest,” he said.

Current climatic conditions have caused water temperatures to rise, thus affecting the corals, making them vulnerable to predators and disease, he said.

“Human activities will also have an impact on the reefs,” he added.

Malaysian Nature Society’s head of conservation Yeap Chin Aik said the department should actively get local universities and experts involved in saving the reefs.

For full article and graphics, please click here.

Project AWARE Shark Talk

2010-07-21T16:45:00.004+08:00

Dates: 30 July 2010 - 1 August, 2010
Venue: Malaysia International Dive Expo, PWTC

Joanne Marston, Asia Pacific Manager for Project AWARE will talk about sharks, the recent failures at CITES and collect your petition signature to CITES Party Representatives at Malaysia International Dive Expo in Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free. For more details, please contact www.projectaware.org.

Save our Seafood Talk

2010-07-21T15:36:00.004+08:00

Date: 23 July 2010

Time: 8 – 9 pm

Venue: Auditorium, Malaysian Nature Society HQ, JKR 641 Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur

Cost: Free and open to the public

Speakers: Ms Chitra Devi, WWF-Malaysia and Mr Fairul Izmal Jamal Hisne, MNS

Save our Seafood campaign was jointly launched by WWF-Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) on 8 June 2010 in conjunction with World Oceans Day. The objectives of the campaign are to raise awareness on the current status of our fish supply and to promote sustainable seafood choices, which we hope would eventually influence the whole seafood supply chain from the seas to our plates. To reach those objectives, we have produced a seafood guide that provides information to individual consumers and businesses to help them make sustainable seafood choices. Join us for the talk to find out more.

For more information, please contact MNS HQ at 03 - 2287 9422, e-mail: mns@mns.org.my

Trip to Redang Island

2010-07-16T11:06:00.004+08:00

Dates: 17 – 19 September

The Marine Group will be organising a trip to Pulau Redang in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day. The 3D/2N trip will include activities like snorkelling, diving and a beach clean up. Also included is a talk on marine life, a certificate for participation and a goodie bag from sponsors. Itinerary will be provided upon request.

Snorkelling package: Cost is RM330 (quad sharing), RM350 (triple sharing) and RM370 (twin sharing).

Diving package: Cost is RM470 (quad sharing), RM490 (triple sharing) and RM510 (twin sharing).

Cost includes boat ride to and from the island, 4 meals a day and air-conditioned rooms. Transport to Kuala Terengganu will be by carpooling/express bus, and will be borne by participants themselves.

Lastly, there is an extra charge of RM70 for non-members (and they will become MNS members thereafter). Places are limited & booking is on a first-come, first-serve basis. So, be quick to avoid disappointment.

For more information or to join the trip, please contact Hui Min (khor.hm@gmail.com, 017-8817714) or Kana (kkkana@yahoo.com, 012-6180024). Please call between 6 and 10pm.

Note: The temporary closure of marine parks has not affected this trip. Only one dive site in Redang is closed, and not where we are going to.

Marine SIG Committee 2011/2012

2010-06-28T12:45:00.008+08:00

Coordinator: Dr Kana Kula

Assistant coordinator: Suzanne Mathan

Co-Secretary: Eda Izanie
Co-Secretary: Grace Chin

Treasurer: Vacant

Blog & website: Leong Hon Yuen

Committee members: Gary Phong and Fiona Aziz Hassan

If you're a MNS member and wish to volunteer as the group's Treasurer or as a committee member, please e-mail the SIG coordinator at kkkana@yahoo.com.

Marine SIG Meeting Invite

2010-06-21T00:08:00.000+08:00

Date: Friday, 25 June 2010

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: MNS HQ Auditorium, Federal Hill

MNS members who are interested to help organise or assist in activities for the Marine Group for the next 12 months, please attend this meeting.

Some of the activities will include the GEF project at Gelang Patah, Johor (end July/early Aug 2010), Beach Clean-up at Redang Island (Sept 2010), and an arts & crafts activity for kids (will likely invite kids from a children's home). There are more of course, so do attend to know more.

You are all welcomed to propose/suggest suitable activities/events/programmes including people who can give talks on marine conservation, biodiversity, climate change, underwater photography, etc.

Please RSVP with Hui Min at Tel: 017-8817714.

Wanted: People who love the sea

2010-06-20T23:53:00.004+08:00

The Marine SIG of MNS Selangor Branch is embarking on a recruitment drive to rope in sea lovers into its volunteer committee. The minimum requirement is that you have an interest in the ocean and coastal ecosystems, and a passion for the Environment. Organisational skills, snorkeling savvy, diving certification and mangrove knowledge are welcome additions, but not a necessity (don’t worry, we’ll brainwash you as we go along).

Vacancies: Assistant Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer, Activity Developer cum Organisers (includes Trips & Events), Merchandise Officer, Committee Member (a.k.a. Jack of all trades).

Interested parties are to contact Khor Hui Min (017-8817714, khor.hm@gmail.com).

Eating our seafood to death

2010-06-11T11:29:00.001+08:00

In conjunction with World Oceans Day 2010 (8th June), WWF-Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) launched the Save Our Seafood (S.O.S.) Campaign.

The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness on the status of Malaysian fisheries, where in some parts of Malaysia our demersal fish stocks have declined by as much as 90%, and to promote sustainable seafood choices through Malaysia’s first sustainable seafood guide.

The pocket-sized, bilingual guide in English and Bahasa Malaysia provides an insight into the sustainability of the 50 most popular Malaysian seafood species. The guide uses a simple traffic light system of categorising the seafood species: Green (preferred or recommended eating choice) Yellow (eat only occasionally) and Red (avoid eating).

“The seafood guide empowers the seafood consumers and businesses to make informed decisions in choosing sustainable seafood, which means seafood that is caught and farmed responsibly and does not cause damage to our marine environment,” said Dr Loh Chi Leong, Executive Director of Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).

Malaysians are the biggest consumers of seafood in Southeast Asia with an average consumption of 1.4 billion kg yearly. Our demand for seafood has resulted in a rapid decline of our fish supply due to overfishing. A group of fisheries scientists have predicted that globally in another 40 years, we run the risk of not having any seafood to eat, if we continue to consume indiscriminately.

Therefore it is important for Malaysians to start thinking about our seafood consumption patterns and how each of us can play a role to conserve our marine resources for future generations.

A survey commissioned by WWF-Malaysia showed that only a quarter of Malaysian consumers are aware of the declining fish supply in our seas. However, more than 70% of Malaysians are willing to reduce seafood consumption if they are aware that fish stocks are declining.

“It is important for seafood consumers and businesses alike to know where our seafood comes from because some are sourced sustainably and some are not, due to different fisheries management regimes in different parts of the world. At present, we are taking some of our fish stocks out of the oceans faster than they can be replenished. If this scenario continues, we may eventually lose all of our fish along with other marine life,” said Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director/CEO of WWF-Malaysia.

“We hope that seafood lovers in Malaysia will re-evaluate and eventually change their consumption patterns by using this guide as a reference when ordering or purchasing seafood. I will also promote sustainable seafood in my future programmes,” added Datuk Chef Wan.

The seafood guide is just one of the starting points of our marine conservation work which aims to eventually improve fisheries management and trade, beginning from the oceans to the plate.

The Malaysian sustainable seafood guide can be downloaded for free at www.saveourseafood.my. It is also available free of charge at both MNS and WWF-Malaysia’s HQ offices in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya respectively and its branches, including Sabah and Sarawak, Little Penang Café outlets in Mid Valley, The Curve and KLCC and Eastin Hotel, PJ. Those interested to distribute the guide can also contact WWF-Malaysia or MNS.

MNS and friends triumph at Tioman - Tioman Airport Extension Off

2009-10-17T18:53:00.003+08:00

For many years, MNS has been engaged in an on and off campaign to conserve Tioman's rich biodiversity from being threatened by over-development. Projects such as the marina in Kg. Tekek was objected to by MNS and other enviromentalists but we lost and it was built. The
'house reef' at Tekek is still there today, but it is just a shadow of its former ecological glory.

On March 8th 2009, the Ministry of Transport announced that the Tioman Airport Extension project has been cancelled, bringing (hopefully) to an end, a project that would have brought negative environmental impacts to Tioman. It is good news to us all and we thank all members, fellow environmentalists and nature lovers who have given their unflagging support on this issue over the years.

MNS will continue to keep its eye on Tioman and still push for the island to be managed sustainably and this approach must be taken for all marine park islands in Malaysia.

We hope that all members will continue to assist the secretariat in being our eyes and ears and inform us of activities on these islands that are contrary to the spirit of conservation of our marine eco systems and heritage.

The fight is not over, we need to still do more but, for now, thank you for your continued support and congrats to us all. How you can help further the cause is by rallying more members into MNS so that our conservation voice gets louder and more effective - please sign up at www.mns.org.my.

Coral ID Workshop

2009-07-18T23:49:00.002+08:00

By Loh Wan Yeng

Time for a change. I have been learning to identify birds but I seemed to have stagnated. Coral identification caught my eye. Why not? Since I was starting to indulge into my new hobby of scuba diving, it was about time I learnt something about sea organisms.

On that Saturday morning of 30 May 2009, about 20 of us gathered at the compound of MNS HQ, eagerly awaiting the doors to open. As we settled down in the auditorium, we were introduced to... Corals.

What is a coral? Well, the most asked question as put by marine biologist Affendi Yang Amri is whether a coral is a plant or animal. Well, I came away from the workshop with new knowledge that it is an animal but with plant characteristics due to the presence of algae living in the coral. This is one animal that can photosynthesize.

Affendi presented us with slides of beautiful slides corals. Corals not just in one shape, but all kinds - branching corals, massive corals, columnar corals and free-moving ones, amongst others. We were enlightened with knowledge of how fragile the coral ecosystem is and the main enemy is mankind.

Later, we were divided into groups and introduced to a Coral ID software. With the software database of more than 700 coral species, it would help in the identification of coral specimens by selecting the various characteristics of the coral. We had a hands-on session with the software as each group was given a coral skeleton to identify using the software. Well, it was not as easy as we thought it was.

We ended the workshop with a Q&A session. Affendi shared with us the value of the coral ecosystem, with calculations from Tioman as an example. The digits were too long to fit into my calculator. It was a frightening thought, to think of the huge value that would be lost, if the fragile coral ecosystems of the world were destroyed. All in all, the whole session was fun and definitely a good learning experience.

Tioman - A Trip to Remember

2009-06-09T19:11:00.012+08:00

Story by Malini Madiyazhagan
Photos by Khor Hui Min and Gary Phong

I do not think 500 words will be enough to describe to you the adventures I experienced on this 4-day 3-nights trip (11-14 April 2009) to Pulau Tioman. What enticed me at first was the desperate need for a getaway in order to temporarily remove myself from the daily routine of work, work and more work. I chanced upon Hui Min’s invite for this trip – the phrase “promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike” enticed me and I signed up straight away.

The trip began on a Friday night by bus en route to Mersing. The journey (all 10 hours or so in total) to Tioman was long but anticipated. We had to take a ferry ride from Mersing to Tioman Island, and then a 4-wheel drive ride from our stop at Tekek to Juara, on the other side of the island . It was the 4-wheel drive OR a 3-hour trek to Juara. Obviously, the decision was unanimous for the former. Thank goodness, as we had to conserve our energy for what was coming next!

Our activities for the next few days ranged from sea adventures to land adventures. The afternoon of our arrival, we received a complimentary crash course by our very own Wee Liem on snorkelling. I had never snorkelled before the trip, and Wee Liem’s do's and don’ts were much appreciated. All were on board for the test snorkelling in the water that afternoon, and I speak for everyone on the trip when I say we could not get enough of it! The underwater world is one that is truly magical. While we were busy learning snorkeling, Hui Min, Lee Sah, Wong, Yong and Haryati went to Tekek School for the annual Marine SIG Kelab Pencinta Alam programme there. The kids truly enjoyed the entertaining talk on birdwatching by Haryati, besides the poster-drawing competition, tea break and beach cleanup.

Some of us spent our first night on the island night-trekking in search of mousedeer. I believe this was the most talked about activity on the whole trip, and one to never forget about. The trek began at the resort, where we had to climb 4 (very steep) hills to an entrance in the forest. This trek lasted close to 2 hours. Then we began our 1.5 hour journey into the forest with 5 very able guides in search of mousedeer. We must have been a very lucky lot as we managed to see many other animals besides the mousedeer – from snakes and forest rats, to a chameleon and semut api (fire ants), which we painfully could not avoid. The only thing which we anticipated to find, but thankfully did not have to encounter were the leeches. But we were prepared in advance with our leech socks pulled up high and tucked into our dependable adidas kampung shoes. (Thank you Gary on your insight on this!) The trek left us thinner and exhausted, but very satisfied with ourselves. One accomplishment in this lifetime accounted for!

The second day was an all-day snorkelling agenda. We started the day with a beach cleanup and duty free shopping at Tekek, after which we hopped from the marine park to coral island, despite a gloomy rainy day, and braved the drizzle by swimming amongst the corals and fish in the sea. Our night activities were pleasantly memorable - 30 people dominating a beach front hall with lots of booze and board games at hand – I shall leave the rest to your imagination due to my word limit constraint.

The third day heralded a trek to a waterfall in Kampung Asah and the much awaited Rafflesia walk. This final trek in search of the Rafflesia was easy in comparison to the night trek on the first day. Our advantage was that we had daylight and a 4-wheel drive to take us to the entrance into the forest! We ended our final night at Juara with a BBQ and karaoke session. A perfect conclusion to a memorable adventure.

The final day of the holiday was spent mostly travelling back to the mainland. By this time, I had made 29 new friends, learnt more about the sea and land and couldn’t wait for the next MNS getaway! Tioman, to me, was truly a trip to remember.

Sg Pulai Estuary & Kukup National Park

2009-05-22T22:25:00.002+08:00

Dates: Oct 17-18 (Sat-Sun):
Cost: RM190 (members)/ RM260 (non-members, includes 1 year membership). Places are limited, first come & paid first served!

Join us in our next trip to the Sungai Pulai Estuary to volunteer with Save Our Seahorses (SOS). This time, we will participate in the Merambong rocky shores and reef survey, at the uninhabited island of Pulau Merambong. We’ll also visit the Kukup National Park. A seafood lunch in Kukup will be provided. Travel is by carpool, costs to be borne by each individual. This package covers:

(1) 1-night stay in a boutique hotel (Sat night)
(2) 2 meals (Sun breakfast & Sun seafood lunch)
(3) Merambong rocky shores and reef survey costs (boat transfer + guide fees)
(4) Kukup National Park costs (entrance ticket + guide + boat)

Booking: By Friday, 18 September = pay RM 100
Confirm: By Friday, 2 October = pay full sum (RM190 or RM260)
Contact: Khor Hui Min 017-881 7714, khor.hm@gmail.com

PADI Open Water Course (4D/3N)

2009-05-22T22:17:00.005+08:00

Dates: Aug 15-18 (Sat-Tues)
Locations:Sri Hartamas (theory) Tioman Island (practical)
Course fees: Member price: RM 1,200 Non-member price: RM 1,270 (includes 1-year MNS membership)

In view of the popularity of the PADI Open Water Course we organised in April 2008, the Marine SIG is having a similar course in August 2009. As usual, the payment collections from the trip costs will fund our programmes with the Kelab Pencinta Alam (KPA) activities at Tekek School, which the children look forward to every year.

This trip package includes:

1. Theory classes at Sri Hartamas, from early July to early August, prior to trip
2. Course materials
3. Stay at Panuba Resort, Tioman Island
4. Speedboat from Mersing to Tioman, and from Tioman to Mersing
5. Dive equipment (encouraged to bring own mask, snorkel & fins)
6. Breakfast on 16, 17 & 18 Aug
7. 1 BBQ dinner
8. 1 beach cleanup

Travel to and from Mersing is by carpooling/bus, where the costs will be borne by each individual.

Please make booking payment of RM200 by Wednesday, 1 July 2009.
Please make full payment by Wednesday, 15 July 2009.

Interested individuals are to contact Khor Hui Min (mobile: 017-881 7714, e-mail: khor.hm@gmail.com) for booking as soon as possible, as places are limited.

Sg Pulai Estuary & Kukup National Park

2009-05-22T22:08:00.007+08:00

Dates: Aug 22-23 (Sat-Sun)
Cost: RM190 (members)/ RM260 (non-members, includes 1 year membership). Places are limited, first come & paid first served!

Join us in our next trip to the Sungai Pulai Estuary to volunteer with Save Our Seahorses (SOS). This time, we will participate in the Merambong rocky shores and reef survey, at the uninhabited island of Pulau Merambong. We’ll also visit the Kukup National Park. A seafood dinner in Kukup will be provided. Travel is by carpool, costs to be borne by each individual. This package covers:

(1) 1-night stay in a boutique hotel (Sat night)
(2) 2 meals (Sat seafood dinner & Sun breakfast)
(3) Merambong rocky shores and reef survey costs (boat transfer + guide fees)
(4) Kukup National Park costs (entrance ticket + guide + boat)

Booking: By Friday, 24 July = pay RM 100
Confirm: By Friday, 31 July = pay full sum (RM190 or RM260)
Contact: Khor Hui Min 017-881 7714, khor.hm@gmail.com

Coral Identification Workshop

2009-04-18T19:55:00.008+08:00

Date: May 30 (Sat)
Time: 9am – 12noon
Venue:Auditorium, MNS HQ (map)

We had such an overwhelming response for the first Coral Identification Workshop we organised on 5 January 2008, that we have decided to conduct another workshop in 2009. This workshop is suitable for people who have either went snorkelling or diving before, but not sure of the marine organisms that they have seen on their trips. Rather than just being awed by the beauty of these organisms, it would be wise to know a little bit about what they are. The facilitator will be none other than our own renowned marine biologist Affendi Yang Amri from University Malaya. Affendi is known for his work involving corals, dugong and marine issues. As an avid diver and lecturer, he is ever ready to share his knowledge on the basics of how to identify corals.

For more information and to book your spot in this workshop, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-8817714, khor.hm@gmail.com). Places are limit, so please book soon!

Marine mammals in Malaysia - rescheduled

2009-04-18T19:51:00.006+08:00

Time: 8 - 9pm
Venue: Auditorium, MNS HQ, KL (map)

Find out about the 11 confirmed species of marine mammals known to occur in the waters of Peninsular Malaysia. Discover the threats affecting marine mammal populations globally and locally. Learn how you can assist with filling in the 'black hole' of no information about marine mammals in the places they occur. Join Louisa Ponnampalam, who studied marine science in Hawaii and did her PhD with the University of London, focusing on the ecology and conservation of spinner dolphins and other small dolphins in the Sultanate of Oman, for this interesting talk by the Selangor Branch. Now part of the team at University Malaya's Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Louisa hopes to set up a national facility for research of marine mammals in Peninsular Malaysia and to create awareness among Malaysians about these magnificent creatures.

For more information, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714, khor.hm@gmail.com).

Note: This talk was scheduled for Tuesday, 21 Apr 09, but had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Sorry for any inconveniences caused.

Fun with Cupcakes and Clay

2009-04-18T19:41:00.005+08:00

By Khor Hui Min

The Marine SIG of MNS Selangor Branch organised its first-ever Cupcake Decoration Contest & I Clay Workshop on Sunday, 29 March 2009, from 2 to 5pm. Two different activities in one day. I was surprised to have a good turnout of 23 kids, ranging from 5 years old to 12 years old, with parents and guardians in tow. Imagine kiddies running up and down the stairs, chasing after each other, while waiting for the fun to begin. But all were well behaved when it was time to start the activities. Since there were so many people, we decided to break up the kids into two groups – one in the conference room and another in the auditorium. The kids in the auditorium started on the cupcakes, while the kids in the auditorium started in the I Clay Workshop.

The theme for the day was “Marine Creatures”, and all the decorations for the cupcake deco contest was about the sea and the life forms therein, while in the I Clay workshop, the children had a fun time making octopuses.

Our heartfelt thanks to Amy Chai and her friends for conducting the I Clay Workshop and to I Clay Creations (www.iclay.kids.net.my) for sponsoring the 23 I Clay kits for each child. Our appreciation also goes out to Terri Chai, sister of Amy Chai, and her friends, as well as Allison Wong May Li, for taking time out to bake cupcakes and whip up colourful icing, as well as source for cute edible cupcake decorations of all kinds in line with the theme for the day.

And best of all, the cupcakes tasted good too.

Cupcake Decoration Contest & I Clay Workshop

2009-01-15T23:16:00.002+08:00

Date: 29 March 2009
Time: 2 – 5pm
Venue: MNS HQ Auditorium, KL
Organiser: Marine SIG, MNS Selangor Branch

What’s Happening?
2 – 3.30pm: Cupcake decoration demo and contest for kiddies. The most creatively decorated cupcake will receive a mystery prize!
3.30 – 5pm: I Clay Workshop conducted by certified I Clay teacher, sponsored by I Clay Art Creations.
Of course, the children will take home their cupcakes and I Clay figurines after the event. 

Theme
The theme for the day is 'Marine Creatures', so kiddies must decorate their cupcakes with marine creatures and they will be making sea creatures from I Clay too.

Who Can Join?
Children aged 5 - 12 years.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or another adult.

Register Now!
To register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714).
Registration fee per child: RM 30. Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

A Clay Workshop With a Difference

2009-01-15T20:56:00.005+08:00

On 29 March 2009, the Marine SIG embarks on our first-ever marine-themed I Clay Workshop for kids aged 5 to 12 years! Besides that, we will also be having a marine-themed Cupcake Decoration Contest on the same day.

Now, many of you will be wondering – what’s 'I Clay'? Well, it’s a special type of polymer clay imported from Korea. It’s suitable for children, because of its qualities – only the softest and lightest clay is used, and it is safe, non-toxic, has superior elasticity and superior adhesiveness, clean handling and is child-friendly. It can be air-dried, has no cracks after drying and comes in the brightest of colours.

I Clay classes are taught according to a syllabus in the I Clay Education Programme and conducted by certified I Clay teachers. The syllabus is currently endorsed by the Institute of Clay Art (Korea), as well as the PJ College of Art and Design. I Clay classes and workshops are suitable for children, students, art teachers, kindergarten teachers, clay and handicraft enthusiasts, and parents.

Clay modelling is beneficial for children, because it builds confidence, stimulates creativity and imagination, improves concentration and patience, plus helps them develop critical thinking skills. In addition, working with clay gives children the opportunity to explore translating things from 2D drawings to 3D objects, and in the process, helps them to understand proportions, amounts and perception of colours better. Children can also be encouraged to develop logical and rational thoughts, as well as develop both the left brain and right brain.

Certified I Clay teacher, Amy Chai, has graciously agreed to take time out from her busy schedule of teaching autistic children and studies to conduct this workshop, so don’t miss this great opportunity for some fun. Last but not least, we are also very grateful to I Clay Art Creations, a company based in Subang Jaya, for sponsoring this workshop. For more information about the company and their I Clay products, visit www.iclay.kids.net.my.

For more information about this workshop, and to register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714). Details can be found in the Calendar of Activities section. Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

Bookmark this activity!

Explore Tioman by Sea & Land

2009-01-15T06:29:00.003+08:00

Date: 11 – 14 April 2009 (Sat - Tues)
Location: Tioman Island, Pahang
Price: RM360 for members, RM430 for non-members (includes 1-year MNS membership)

The Marine SIG and the Nature Guides are organising a joint 4D/3N trip to Tioman Island, from Saturday, 11 April to Tuesday, 14 April 2009, promising an unforgettable experience for naturalists and city slickers alike. Over a 4-day period, you will stay at the Juara Mutiara Resort, enjoy 2 days of snorkelling, a morning trek to look for the famed Rafflesia, and a trek to a lovely waterfall. Besides that, the 'night life' enthusiast will find the night spotting walk exciting indeed. What are you trying to spot at night? Well, we hope to see a mousedeer or two!

What’s included in the package?
Dorm accommodation, Tioman round-trip ferry ride, all meals including a BBQ, 2 days of snorkelling, 3 walks, a visit to the Marine Park information centre area, and a visit to Tekek (where you can do your duty free shopping).

Tekek School KPA Programme
Each time the Marine SIG organises a trip to Tioman, a programme will be conducted for the Kelab Pencinta Alam at the Tekek Primary School. Your trip payment will sponsor this programme. This year’s programme will include a talk and slide show by the Nature Guides, some arts and craft fun, a beach clean-up and a tea break. And don’t worry, because we’ll somehow manage to find time for a beach clean-up for the adults too.

For more information about this trip and to register, please contact Khor Hui Min (017-881 7714). This trip is also listed in the Calendar of Activities section. Places are limited, so book your spot soon!

Bookmark this trip!

The Seagrass Meadow 'Twix Two Lands

2009-01-15T05:34:00.013+08:00

Article & photos by Chew Ming Yee
A magical first-hand experience of a seagrass meadow.

The outing to a seagrass meadow between Malaysia and Singapore was so welcomed by members that it was quickly fully booked. Yoke Mui and I only managed to join because two members pulled out at the very last minute. We all received, in PDF format, the “SOS Volunteers Handbook” written by Mr. Choo, seahorse rights activist, just before the trip. As I browsed through the brief yet informative pages, I was surprised by the seagrass diversity recorded. That kick-started my curiosity and soon, emails were flying between Hui Min, our dear organiser, Mr. Choo, and myself, an ignorant member.

If you do not already know, seagrass is a flowering plant. No, you won’t see big red flowers if you go snorkelling in a seagrass meadow; seagrass is not trying to attract any fish to pollinate its flowers. Instead, the tide does the job for it.

What about fruit dispersal, you may ask. Would any fish or squid gobble up the seeds then excrete them somewhere else? Please take a look at the prickly fruit of the most common seagrass here − Enhalus acoroides (pictured).

It won’t be getting any help from any passing pelagic fishes for long distance delivery to a new underwater lawn somewhere else in the world. I read that when the seagrass' capsule finally releases the seeds, the seeds will just float around and let chance decide where they are going to settle for a new life.

Generally, no seagrass species can colonise new turf like 'lalang'.

Sea grapes - a kind of algae found in the seagrass meadow.

When I came to know that this patch of meadow is under threat from intensive coastal development, I felt pretty blue.

“You must see it before it is gone.” That’s what was told to me by a friend, who had visited the place and did a cover story for a local Chinese environmental magazine. But that didn’t prepare me for the sheer beauty of this unique habitat.

We had the most uncooperative weather. It rained on our marine biologist, Zimi’s, Kancil almost all the way. When the tide was finally low enough for us to survey the area without having to worry about drowning, the sun had already begun to set. Although the rain had stopped, the water had been churned into a rather milky 'horlicks tarik'. Anyway, upon arrival, everyone stepped out of the boat enthusiastically and listened to the briefing conducted by the SOS programme coordinator.

We were taught how to scan for seahorses that were hiding near the base of seagrass plants, how to lift them up gently, how to place them in the plastic bag filled with seawater and how to plunge the pipe where the bag is attached into the seabed at exactly where each seahorse is found. Yes, he meant that literally. Seahorses are a very homely fish. It is unethical if we forced them to move house carelessly. I read that it affects their territorial behaviour and therefore their livelihood.

Crossing beneath the Second Link to get to the seagrass meadow. (Below) Participants get ready to start the survey.

Standing in ankle- to knee-deep water, we saw Malaysia on our right, Singapore to our left and the Second Link Causeway behind us. A 2km long seagrass bed stretched beneath our dive booties in the Straits of Tebrau. And the sky above slowly lost its warm colours and faded into night. A million lights shone from the shores of both countries.

No seahorse for the day, the SOS team apologised. We rode home in the cool night air with heavy hearts. Not because we didn’t see the cute yellow seahorse called Hippocampus kuda. But rather, it was because none of us knew if the next generation of Malaysians would be able to walk on the seagrass meadow as we did, looking for the seahorse in its natural home, rather than in the traditional medicine shop or an aquarium.

An SOS Trip to Remember

2009-01-15T05:16:00.006+08:00

By Malini Madiyazhagan
Photo by Lim Kar Mern

My seahorse trip to Johor from 2-3 Aug 2008 was a memorable experience shared with 13 others. All had different reasons for joining the trip in the first place. Most of us were curious as to what takes place at a Seahorse Conservation Programme conducted by Save Our Seahorses (SOS), while others were regular volunteers. But all of us shared the same excitement and curiosity when the journey began at the KL Sentral Monorail station on an early Saturday morning.

We arrived in Johor in the mid-afternoon and had a quick bite before beginning the programme for the day – a visit to the Kukup National Park. The ride there was rather eventful as we missed a turn to our destination and as a result, turned up late at the briefing centre. We called it distraction by ‘pasar malam’. Although we missed the briefing, we managed to make it to the guided tour through the national park, which took us on a walk across a suspension bridge placed strategically over the Snake River, a growing anticipation that we would bump into wild boars (which did not materialise, unfortunately, to the dismay of this writer) and a brief educational discourse on mangrove wildlife by the Kukup National Park officer. The day ended with a seafood dinner and the need for a shower and sleep for all concerned.

Sunday started bright and early for us. Sleepy-eyed and slightly sleep-deprived, we headed to the Pendas jetty to catch the boat to the Pulai River Estuary to begin our volunteer duties. When we arrived at the seagrass meadow, we were most stunned by the fact that Malaysia was on our right, and Singapore was on our left, and we were literally walking in the sea in the middle.

We were divided into teams and set off on our hunt for Hippocampus kuda. This writer’s team was very lucky the first time around as one of our members managed to find 2 seahorses (a pair) within a matter of minutes. All in all, our entire group collectively managed to find 5 seahorses and 2 pipefish that day.

The next agenda on the itinerary was a visit to Pulau Merambong, where a clean-up session of the beach was planned, with complimentary rambutans for our efforts to tidy up the beach the best we could. A group photo was called for, and all of us gave our biggest smiles amidst a sea of bin bags that contained, amongst other things, a helmet and a tyre. Wow! Look how much rubbish we collected at Pulau Merambong!

Our trip ended with a gathering at Old Town White Coffee for lunch before the lot of us made our respective ways homeward towards the daily routine that awaited us in the week ahead. Without a doubt, the 14 of us certainly did leave Kukup as a time to remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of us make it back to Kukup for another round of the Seahorse Volunteer Survey at the Pulai River Estuary and the wonders beneath the water’s surface.

MNS Marine Group, Selangor Branch

Explore and Discover Selangor's Coastline

Conservation of turtles given a boost

Marine SIG Committee 2011/2012

A Date with Turtles

My Unforgetable Experience at Tioman Island

Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction

Caring for corals

Explore Tioman by Sea & Land

Dive in to Earth Day 2011, Tioman Island

Sabah may be the first state to ban shark hunting

Register for the MNS & BSAC Programme

Itinerary: MNS BSAC Snorkel Instructor Programme

BSAC Level 6: Open Water Snorkel Instructor

BSAC Level 5: Assistant Snorkel Instructor

Classroom Presentation Workshop

Practical Presentation Workshop

BSAC Level 4: Snorkel Dive Marshall

BSAC Level 3: Advanced Ocean Snorkeller

BSAC Level 2: Ocean Snorkeller

BSAC Level 1: Snorkel Diver

MNS & BSAC Snorkel Instructor Programme Overview

MNS teams up with BSAC Thailand to offer Snorkel Diver Instructor Programme

June 8 is World Oceans Day

Too little done to address trade threat to Asia's tortoises and freshwater turtles

By TRAFFIC

Singapore, 1st March 2011—A meeting of experts on freshwater turtles and tortoises from around the world is reporting dire findings for species in Asia, most of which are bearing the brunt of years of illegal and unsustainable trade.

Dive in to Earth Day 2011

Holiday Inn Glenmarie Bans Shark Fin Soup

US gets tough on shark fins

International Beach Clean-up Day at Redang

32 years on, turtle returns to Malaysia

Soaring temps cause mass coral killing in Indonesia: study

First oiled turtles released in Gulf after rehab

Langkawi - Jellyfish ID required

Sabah Parks checking if marine parks affected

How extensive is the Marine Park closure?

Volunteer for screening of End of the Line documentary

Volunteers wanted for SOS Campaign

Int'l Coastal Cleanup Day 2010 not affected by marine parks closure

Top dive spots closed due to coral bleaching

Project AWARE Shark Talk

Save our Seafood Talk

Trip to Redang Island

Marine SIG Committee 2011/2012

Marine SIG Meeting Invite

Wanted: People who love the sea

Eating our seafood to death

MNS and friends triumph at Tioman - Tioman Airport Extension Off

Coral ID Workshop

Tioman - A Trip to Remember

Sg Pulai Estuary & Kukup National Park

PADI Open Water Course (4D/3N)

Sg Pulai Estuary & Kukup National Park

Coral Identification Workshop

Marine mammals in Malaysia - *rescheduled*

Fun with Cupcakes and Clay

Cupcake Decoration Contest & I Clay Workshop

A Clay Workshop With a Difference

Explore Tioman by Sea & Land

The Seagrass Meadow 'Twix Two Lands

An SOS Trip to Remember

Marine mammals in Malaysia - rescheduled